The Pays Nantais is the region surrounding the city of Nantes, on the Atlantic coast of Brittany, France. The region covers an area of about 90 kilometres from east to west, between neighbouring Anjou and the Atlantic coast. Most of the production produces light, fresh white wines. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Muscadet, where the melon">Melon de Bourgogne grape dominates the plantings.
Muscadet wines are, in turn, produced under several different appellations, including Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine. Melon de Bourgogne is not a particularly tasty grape variety, so without care in the Vineyard and careful Vinification, the wines are likely to be rather bland and Characterless. This is especially true in hot vintages, when the grapes tend to lose their Organoleptic complexity and their vital, characteristic Acidity. In order to glean as much flavour and character as possible from the grape must, many wines are left on the lees for weeks or even months.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
white wines from the region of Pays Nantais go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, appetizers and snacks or lean fish such as recipes of shrimp marinade, biscuits for dogs or fillets of sole en papillote.
On the nose in the region of Pays Nantais often reveals types of flavors of citrus fruit. In the mouth in the region of Pays Nantais is a with a nice freshness.
