Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- No relief barrier between coast and vineyard: rapid circulation of maritime air masses, low rainfall, and sunshine levels exceeding those of the inland areas.
- Metamorphic basement: mica schists, gneisses, amphibolites, eclogites, and prasinites; Tertiary sediments (sands, clays, gravels) in low-lying peri-lacustrine zones.
Human factors
- The Melon B variety, the sole permitted grape, was established in the 16th century at the instigation of Dutch merchants and is trained in single Guyot after the phylloxera crisis.
Product characteristics
- Dry white wines with fruity, sometimes iodine-tinged aromas, oriented toward freshness; extended ageing brings richness and potential for cellaring.
- The 'sur lie' designation: enhanced roundness, a more complex bouquet, and a slight spritz from the residual CO₂ of alcoholic fermentation.
Terroir / wine link
- Sandy soils combined with an Atlantic climate produce early vegetative development, yielding wines that are 'open and expressive from their earliest age'.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 3 décembre 2025
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — InterLoire