Domaine de L'Ecu - Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Orthogneiss 2019

Frédéric Niger Van Herck, driven by a passion for wine, continues to practice biodynamic viticulture on his 21 hectares. He masterfully crafts terroir-driven wines, named according to the type of soil on which they are produced. Whether “expression-de-gneiss,” “expression-d’orthogneiss,” or “expression-de-granite,” these wines perfectly express the natural character and elegant minerality of their terroir. The top wines absolutely must age in the cellar. The reds are more reserved.

Frédéric Niger joined the estate in 2009 and benefited from the invaluable expertise of the iconic winemaker Guy Bossard, the former owner, until 2013. Since then, Frédéric has continued the vineyard’s organic (since 1975) and biodynamic (certified in 1998) practices and is committed to winemaking that is as natural as possible. The vibrant fruit and genuine aromatic openness of his unpretentious wines reflect this approach. Beyond the delightful Muscadet wines—Classic, Granite, Orthogneiss, and Taurus—the daring winemaker experiments with twenty-eight cuvées aged in amphorae and/or large oak casks and concrete tanks. These wines, brimming with vitality, take us outside our comfort zone. Following an issue with the Muscadet appellation certification, the wines are now labeled as “Vin de France.”