Muscadet was once good only for cheap, neutral white wines. Not any more. Jean-Baptiste Hardy learned how to make world-beating white Burgundy alongside Meursault master Jean-Marc Roulot. Now back in Muscadet, he’s applying the same methods to his old vine plots, and getting outstanding results. His Cru Muscadets are some of France’s best value fine wines.
It helps that Jean-Baptiste has great raw material to work with. His vines are in some of the best sites in Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, and were planted back in the 1950s and 60s. By introducing organic farming, hand harvesting, vinification in traditional, glass-lined underground tanks, and often bottling small plots individually, he’s raised quality to a different plane.
Just as Cru Beaujolais has become coveted by red Burgundy lovers unable to keep up with rising tariffs, so Cru Muscadet increasingly appeals to those priced out of the region's top whites. Jean-Baptiste’s wines are the best examples we know. They are terroir-driven, hand-crafted, and have a remarkable energy and textural richness. They are very fairly priced for their quality.
