La Folle Blanche

In 1979, Marc Pesnot took over the family estate located in the Pays Nantais, the heartland of Muscadet wine. The vineyard was initially managed conventionally, but his discovery in the late 1990s of natural wine pioneers, such as Marcel Lapierre in Beaujolais and Philippe Laurent (Domaine Gramenon) in the Rhône Valley, led him to adopt chemical-free practices and winemaking techniques without additives across his 20 hectares of vines. Low yields, perfectly ripe grapes, gentle and slow pressing, and natural fermentations (including malolactic fermentation, which is generally blocked in most Muscadets): his wines, such as Melon de Bourgogne and Folle Blanche, are distinguished by their complexity of fruit and texture, by the mineral nuances characteristic of the different terroirs, and by their exceptional drinkability. This transition is currently underway at the estate with the young Japanese winemaker Ryosuke Furuya, a collaborator of Marc Pesnot.