The heart of Muscadet is “Sèvre et Maine,” where the two rivers meet before joining the Loire. This textbook example comes from the commune of Saint-Fiacre, a noted “Cru” of Muscadet.

Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine is located on the far western reaches of the Loire Valley, with vineyards running almost to the Atlantic Ocean, and the broad strokes of the region–coastal, continental, strongly influenced by the ocean–have long sufficed for most people’s understanding of it. But the truth is that there are multiple subzones, known as Cru Communaux, each with their own terroir and microclimate. 

The Gadais family have made Saint-Fiacre their home for many generations. In 1952 Louis Gadais decided to focus entirely on wine, and so began bottling and selling on his own. His sons Marcel and Michel were instrumental in expanding the estate, and in creating the original “Domaine de la Tourmaline” label. Today their son/nephew Christophe and his son Pierre-Henri are at the helm. 

Christophe and Pierre-Henri continue to produce the “Tourmaline” in much the same way that their forbearers did. The 100% Melon de Bourgogne grapes, growing on the local Orthogneiss soils, are sent to a pneumatic press before being gravity fed into steel tanks for fermentation and aging sur lie (on the fine lees) until bottling the following July.

“Tourmaline” pours a pale yellow with hints of gold at the edges.The nose is in an absolutely beautiful place, with classic oyster shell minerality, lemon peel and green apple fruit, and heady depths of hazelnut, white flowers, hay, baked apple, and pulverized chalk. The palate is still first and foremost fresh, a creamy weight just showing up that’ll only develop further with more time.