2022 Jerome Bretaudeau Muscadet 'Gabbro - Clos des Bouquinardieres,' Loire

Jérôme Bretaudeau’s Gabbro – Clos des Bouquinardières is a world away from the brisk, lemony Muscadets of old. Sourced from old-vine Melon de Bourgogne grown on rare gabbro soils—dark volcanic rock rich in magnesium—this is a wine of depth, tension, and longevity. The 2022 vintage is particularly compelling: concentrated, textural, and pulsing with minerality.

It opens with notes of citrus oil, sea spray, and crushed shell, but there’s also a savory, smoky undertone—like flint or wet stone after rain. The palate is structured and almost waxy in feel, with taut acidity and a deep saline finish that lingers for minutes. Aged on lees without fining or filtration, this is Muscadet elevated to something quietly profound.