2022 Domaine de la Potardiere Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie 750 ml

Every time we make our way to Nantes—Muscadet’s backyard, and one of the absolute coolest cities in France—there’s no discussion about what to order. 

On our last trip, we were hanging out at one of the many Instagrammable cafes that seem to have sprouted across the city in the last decade. In the buzzing establishment of bare wood and exposed brick, we issued a challenge to our server: Blow our minds with a bottle we haven’t tried before.

It’s an approach we’ve used in the past, and there’s so much local pride in the wines that it never fails. So with a distinct Nantais swagger, our man disappeared to the cellar and returned with the 2022 Domaine de la Potardière. He popped and poured, we swirled and sipped—and we all knew he’d nailed it. 

Romain and Lucie Couillaud are the fifth generation of their family to grow grapes and make wine at Portardière. That generational wisdom creates an accumulation of small advantages that allows the winery to stand out in a crowded field. 

The Couillauds, like many Muscadet producers, have vines on a variety of soils—but they clearly farm them a little bit better, and since 2020 they’ve had level 3 HVE (High Environmental Value) certification. They use the traditional enamel-lined vats of the region for vinification and aging, and give their Muscadet sur lie a full six months of lees contact to build texture and complexity.

The result is a bottle that’s becoming a go-to for us whenever we’re after something light and fresh to drink on the porch, with peel-and-eat shrimp at a summer cookout, or as an aperitif to get the night started.