The vineyards of Muscadet profit from a very specific « terroir ». A few kilometres from the Atlantic it benefits in part from the influence of the ocean and in part from a micro climate from the south of the Loire principally between the two rivers : the Sèvre and the Maine.
The soil originates from the foothills of the central volcanic mountains so that it is predominantly schist.
These different elements combine with the grape variety of the Melon de Bourgogne to bring Muscadet sur lie its unique character in the world of wine.
In no other wine growing region can one find a style resembling Muscadet.
Muscadet sur lie should in no way be considered as an all purpose wine reproduced to the taste of the world market. Its difference captivates the experienced wine taster. Unfortunately Muscadet has had its reputations brought into disrepute by operators seeking quantity rather than quality and is under estimated by the general public as it is not well understood. Muscadet sur lie does not suffer from mediocrity. At its best it is able to rank with the top wines of the world.

The Melon de Bourgogne was introduced into the Nantes area by Burgundian monks in the early years of the eighteenth century. So the Melon vines planted to the present day have a noble heritage. Our grape variety is planted very little in France or in other wine regions of the world. However it still lives on around the Abbey of Vezelay in Burgundy.
We think that it is important to combat uniformity of taste by safeguarding the different grape varieties which are the heritage of our viticulture.

The house of Chéreau-Carré is privileged to produce primarily Muscadet sur Lie. This ancestral technique of vinification gives Muscadet the chance to heighten its qualities of elegance and finesse.
Historically the growers in the Nantes area were remarkable in that they kept their best wine in barrel on its lees during the making because it conserved its freshness. In this way the grower could bottle his best barrel at Easter. This barrel was always called the “wedding barrel”.
This technique is replicated for the best Muscadets.
After the grapes are pressed the wine is racked to eliminate any vegetable matter.
The fermentation lasts for between 15 to 21 days. At the end of it the yeasts which transform the juice into wine die and gradually sink to the bottom of the vat or the barrel. The evolution of the yeasts on the lees protect the wine from oxydisation and progressively by autolysis an exchange takes place between the wine and the yeast. This exchange is increased by the technique of “bâtonnage” which stirs up the lees back into suspension to fall again.
In this way the Muscadet keeps all its fruit and freshness and achieves more roundness and complexity. A tiny amount of natural carbon dioxide from the fermentation exists dissolved in the wine and this gives the characteristic “beading” of the sur lie.