Les Frères Couillaud
Les Frères Couillaud are based at Château de la Ragotière, in the little commune of La Regrippière, at the very edge of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation, a few yards from the boundary between the Loire-Atlantique and Maine-et-Loire départements. The nearest village of any note is Vallet, at the time of writing a cru communal hopeful, and beyond that lie the more familiar names of Clisson, Gorges and Château-Thébaud, none closer than ten kilometres. In terms of making Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, this is about as far out as you can be. Any further, and they might find themselves producing Melon Vin de France. Or maybe Anjou Blanc.
It may be peripheral in terms of Muscadet, but for centuries Château de la Ragotière was a hot-bed of political and military activity. From the 14th century onwards this was the seat of the noble Loré de la Ragotière family, who swore allegiance to Bertrand du Guesclin (c.1320 – 1380), a knight from Brittany and a military commander who was active during the Hundred Years’ War. Such was his renown he was known as L’Aigle de la Bretagne (the Eagle of Brittany), a motif also seen on his coat of arms, which bore an image of a double-headed black eagle.
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