Michel Delhommeau, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 'Fief Seigneur' 2021

Michel Delhommeau farms 25 hectares in Monnières, just south of Nantes, on two pretty unique soil types – gabbro and gneiss. Gabbro is formed when volcanic lava is trapped beneath the surface and slowly cools under the earth’s crust, while gneiss comes into being when granite metamorphoses after an increase in temperature or pressure, like when continental plates smash into each other. Epic! Michel vinifies both soil types separately, to promote the differences between the two, using wild yeasts and limited sulphur. The result is wines that have better clarity of fruit than other Muscadets but still have that salty sea breeze thing from the Atlantic. Nice!