The Chéreau Carré winery is run by the father and daughter team of Bernard Chéreau, the second generation, and Louise Chéreau, the third. Their family origins in the region reach back to the 11th century. The founder of the winery, Bernard Chéreau, Sr., was the first to age Muscadet wines on lees, a method that became an integral part of the appellation in 1977. Both father and son pioneered bottle-aged Muscadet meant to improve with time in the cellar, and they were the first in the region to emphasize this quality. Louise Chéreau is carrying that vision into the future, continuing the family philosophy of focusing on Muscadet Crus Communaux, single vineyards, long aging, and absolute quality.
Le Sillon des Braudières has been produced by the Chéreau Carré family since 2015 in the castle of La Turmelière, an old property situated in Château-Thébaud along the Maine River. Le Sillon des Braudières is a single vineyard in the Cru Communaux of Clisson, one of ten villages to earn the designation. Melon de Bourgogne vines are planted near the Sillon de Bretagne, a geologic fault line with Brittany at the point where the terroirs of Clisson and Château-Thébaud diverge.
Clisson, a little southeast of Nantes, is one of ten villages certified in the classification of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine called Crus Communaux, produced from low-yield vineyards and aged a minimum of 24 months on the fine lees. Clisson was first recognized as a Cru in 2011. The coarse topsoils of sand and pebbles offer excellent drainage and low fertility, while the subsoil is mostly composed of “Clisson granite.” The fractured granitic mother rock allows roots to run deep.
Vinification
After hand-harvest, alcoholic fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine ages on the lees for 35 months in underground cement tanks before bottling. Wines age in bottle at the winery for two to five years before being released. The wine is produced only in the best years.
Region
Loire Valley
Appellation
Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine
Cru Communaux
Clisson
Site
Le Sillon des Braudières
Grapes
100% Melon de Bourgogne
Vine Age
Planted between 1940 and 1980
Soil
Granite
Fermentation
Spontaneously fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks
Aging
35 months on the lees in underground cement vats, 2-5 years in bottle
Farming
Ecologic, Practicing Organic
Vegan
Yes
ABV
12%
Pack Size
12x750mL