Domaine
des 3 Versants has been owned by the Bretonniere family for 4
generations. Located in the village of La Fevrie, on the banks of the
Sevre River, the estate owns 15 hectares of choice, densely planted, south-facing
Melon de Bourgogne vineyards on pure schist soils. The term
“Versants” means hillsides. Bretonniere’s vineyard practice is lutte rainsonee, whereby a balanced natural ambiance is maintained and treatments are kept to an absolute minimum The vines are all selection massale
and average 30 years of age, with the oldest parcel being 70 years old.
Winemaker Yves Bretonniere harvests his grapes by hand, typcailly in late September, and then
ferments in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel vats. Bretonniere
uses only native yeasts. After fermentation, the young Muscadet
is kept on its lees in tanks in the domaine’s underground cellar,
through the winter, to preserve it's freshness and fruity acidity.
There is no malolactic fermentation. The wine is bottled with light
filtration in early March. Yves Bretonniere is regarded as one of
the leading young vignerons of the region, and his wines appear on the lists of many of the finest restaurants, both in his region and in Paris.
The
Domaine des 3 Versants Muscadet offers crisp, lively citrus adn mineral flavors and
a bouquet reminiscent of the sea. This dry, zesty and electrically fruity Muscadet
is a perfect match for oysters, scallops, all hors d’oeuvres, and
curried Thai and Indian dishes.