Jean Baptiste Hardy

Wines from Domaine Jean-Baptiste Hardy: buy at the best price

Jean-Baptiste Hardy is one of the most promising and exciting figures of the new generation of Muscadet winemakers. Based in Mouzillon, at the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation, 25 kilometres south-east of Nantes, he took over in 2018 the family vines planted on exceptional gabbro terroirs — that distinctive black volcanic rock characteristic of the commune — which lends his wines a remarkable mineral tension and salinity. After an exceptional international journey at Domaine Roulot and Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, at Bodegas Chacra in Patagonia, at Fromm Winery in New Zealand and at Domaine de la Côte in California, Jean-Baptiste returned to Mouzillon with a clear vision: to reveal the greatness of these gabbro terroirs through a rigorous, artisanal approach inspired by the great Burgundian crus. His first vintage, released in 2020, immediately impressed enthusiasts and the specialist press alike.

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Jean Baptiste Hardy Fiefs de Chaintre 2022
14 in stock
103322
White
75cl
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Loire | Muscadet

Jean Baptiste Hardy Fiefs de Chaintre 2022

€30.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€25.00 ex-VAT
The TOP winemakers of Loire

History of the Jean-Baptiste Hardy estate

Jean-Baptiste Hardy comes from a family of winemakers in Mouzillon, at the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine. Passionate about wine since childhood, he chose to explore the world before taking over the family estate, seeking to understand what the world's finest terroirs could teach him about his own vineyard. His journey took him successively to Domaine Roulot and Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, two of the world references for Chardonnay, then to Bodegas Chacra in Patagonia, Fromm Winery in New Zealand and Domaine de la Côte in California. These experiences forged in him a deep conviction: the expression of terroir takes precedence over any recipe, and artisanal precision can reveal the greatness of any region.

Upon returning to Mouzillon in 2018, Jean-Baptiste took over fewer than 4 hectares of old family vines from massal selections, planted between the 1950s and 1960s, and released his first vintage in 2020 with two single-parcel cuvées. The reception was immediate and unanimous: the specialist press and wine merchants discovered a Muscadet of a new kind, precise, textured and profound, reminiscent of the minerality of great Chablis. The estate has grown progressively, reaching 7 to 14 hectares, with the addition of new Vin de France cuvées (Éclats, L'Aubier, Ponceau) that broaden the winemaker's range without ever betraying his philosophy.

Terroirs and Vines of the Jean-Baptiste Hardy estate

The Jean-Baptiste Hardy estate is located in Mouzillon, at the highest point of the commune, on the banks of the Sanguèse, bathed by the winds of the nearby Atlantic. The terroirs are dominated by gabbro, a volcanic magmatic rock of basaltic origin, characteristic of the Cru Communal Mouzillon-Tillières (recognition obtained in 2019), which lends the wines a unique mineral tension, a pronounced salinity and a depth comparable to the finest Chablis. The subsoils of altered gabbro are covered by varied surface layers depending on the parcel: clayey loam on the Fief de Chaintre, silica and clay on the Clos de Lozangère, and sandy-clay soils on the granite parcels for the reds.

Jean-Baptiste practises rigorous organic farming across all his selected parcels, with deliberately very limited yields and careful green canopy management. The Melon de Bourgogne vines come from massal selections, aged between 60 and 75 years for the finest parcels. The Chardonnay for L'Aubier comes from a parcel of young 15-year-old vines facing the Fief de Chaintre. The red grape varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon) are planted on granite and clay soils with a south-facing exposure.

Winemaking at the Jean-Baptiste Hardy estate

Jean-Baptiste Hardy's cellar philosophy is directly inspired by his time in Burgundy: precision, respect for the fruit, slow and patient ageing. Harvesting is exclusively manual, carried out at perfect ripeness with rigorous selection in the vineyard. The bunches are gently pressed, and alcoholic fermentations begin on indigenous yeasts without any external additions. For the single-parcel Muscadets and L'Aubier, ageing takes place over 12 months primarily in oak barrels of 450 to 600 litres, followed by a 6-month bulk ageing in underground glass-lined tanks before bottling without fining or filtration. For Éclats, the 18-month ageing is carried out entirely in underground glass-lined tanks. Ponceau is aged for 18 months in 228-litre barrels.

The very low dose of sulphur used is reduced to its bare minimum, and some cuvées contain none at all. This "Burgundian" approach, applied to gabbro terroirs from the Nantes region that had until then been undervalued, produces Muscadets of a new kind: textured, precise, profound, with a minerality and complexity that place them among the finest whites of the Loire.

The cuvées of the Jean-Baptiste Hardy estate

Fief de Chaintre (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie): The flagship single-parcel cuvée, sourced from a massal selection of Melon de Bourgogne planted in 1960, with a north-facing exposure, on a soil of loam resting on a subsoil of altered gabbro, within the Cru Communal Mouzillon-Tillières. Aged for 12 months in 450-litre barrels, then bulk-aged for 6 months in an underground glass-lined tank, bottled without fining or filtration. The colour is slightly hazy, a sign of the absence of filtration. The nose is complex and evolving, between apple, lemon, earthy notes and a light smokiness. The palate is taut and saline, with a remarkable texture, precise acidity and a deep and persistent gabbro minerality. A great ageing Muscadet, in a very Burgundian style.

Clos de Lozangère (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie): The second single-parcel cuvée, sourced from the estate's oldest vines, planted in the early 1950s as massal selections, on a terroir of altered gabbro covered by a more siliceous surface layer, with a south-facing exposure. Aged for 12 months in 450-litre barrels, bulk-aged for 6 months in glass-lined tanks, without fining or filtration. Evolving aromas of pear, citrus, dried herbs and oysters, with a very pronounced iodine and saline component. A rounder and more textured palate than the Fief de Chaintre, thanks to its sunnier exposure, with a lace-like finish and a persistent salinity. The most typically "Muscadet" cuvée in the estate according to tasters.

Éclats (Vin de France): A blended cuvée from several Melon de Bourgogne parcels on gabbro, primarily from young vines, classified as Vin de France. Aged for 18 months on lees in underground glass-lined tanks on indigenous yeasts, without fining or filtration. Closer in style to the grape variety than the two barrel-aged single-parcel wines, Éclats expresses the vivacity and freshness of Melon on gabbro: a lively and smoky nose, a dynamic palate with fine citrus acidity and beautiful mineral depth. The ideal introduction to the Hardy universe.

L'Aubier (Vin de France): An atypical white cuvée, made from pure Chardonnay (100%), sourced from a parcel of young 15-year-old vines facing the Fief de Chaintre, on gabbro soils. Aged for 12 months on lees in 600-litre barrels and amphora, then 6 months in an underground glass-lined tank, without fining or filtration. A generous and silky white wine, with notes of honey, ginger, flowers and white fruits, with a rich texture and a long finish. A characterful Chardonnay, directly inspired by the great Burgundian houses where Jean-Baptiste trained.

Ponceau (Vin de France): The estate's only red cuvée, made from a blend of Merlot (dominant), Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1994 on granite and clay soils, with a south-facing exposure. Aged for 18 months in 228-litre barrels. A deep and juicy red wine, with aromas of ripe black fruits, spices and earthy complexity, with a tannin structure that is present yet silky, and a beautiful length. A mouth-watering and salivating red cuvée that illustrates the versatility of the estate.

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