This domaine of 28 hectares is run by seventh-generation brothers Stéphane and Vincent Perraud. Based in the “cru” village of Clisson, the domaine contains some of the best land for the production of Melon de Bourgogne. Some of the family’s vines are approaching 90 years of age.
The Perrauds farm on both the sandy, silty soils of gneiss and mica schist around the Sèvre and Maine rivers and the decomposed granite soils of the newly named (2011) Cru Communaux, including Clisson. Clisson is also home to Hellfest, one of Europe’s largest rock festivals. The Perrauds are official festival purveyors, where they and their Muscadet compatriots sell 25,000 liters of wine over the course of the weekend.
The brothers use native yeasts for fermentation and have been certified organic since the 2013 vintage. Grapes are hand-picked—unusual in this appellation, where many producers cut costs in order to hit a low price point—and whole-cluster pressed for the gentle extraction of juice.
The domaine uses neutral aging vessels—glass, old oak, and a few amphorae—for its wines. Minimal sulfur is used throughout the winemaking process.
