Jean-Baptiste Hardy

Long considered a region with little media coverage and lower quality, Muscadet is now in the spotlight thanks to talented winemakers like Jean-Baptiste Hardy. After traveling the world to experiment with different approaches (Domaine Roulot, Leflaive, Patagonia, New Zealand...), he took over the family vineyards in 2018, in Mouzillon, a village at the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation, 25km from Nantes. His playground? a typical Muscadet terroir with a complex soil of gabbros (volcanic rocks), silica, and clay. On 4ha of old vines of 100% Melon de Bourgogne, Jean-Baptiste Hardy extracts all the substance, practicing organic viticulture focused above all on the perfect health of the grapes. The result? Wines with great precision, elegance, and texture that sometimes remind us of great Chablis. From his first vintage (2020), we are impressed by the quality of the two cuvées produced, from a selection of two plots: Fief de Chaintre and Clos de Lozangère. Vinifications last about a year with aging on fine lees, mainly in 450 L oak barrels. The wines then refine for 6 months in tanks before bottling without filtration or fining and with a reduced sulfur level. An approach reminiscent of Burgundy that makes Jean-Baptiste Hardy the rising star of Muscadet! A discovery not to be missed.