Jo Landron, 2012 Update
Draw up a list of the top names in Muscadet and it probably won’t be long before someone mentions the magnificently moustachioed Jo Landron. Generally regarded as one of the leading vignerons of the region, alongside Guy Bossard, André-Michel Brégeon and Pierre Luneau-Papin, Jo can be found residing in Les Brandières, a little hamlet just to the east of La Haye-Fouassière, on the banks of the Sèvre. This is Domaines Landron, and visitors to the domaine will find it sits on a sliver of land sandwiched between the Chemin de la Louvetrie and the Impasse du Fief du Breil, names which will both be very familiar to fans of Jo’s wines; many (although not all) are sold under the Domaine de la Louvetrie label, and the best known is perhaps the Fief du Breil cuvée. I recently met up with Jo (pictured below) to find out what was new at Domaines Landron, and to taste the 2010 vintage.
La Haye-Fouassière: Cru Communal?
A lot of Jo’s spare time (does a busy vigneron have much spare time, I wonder?) seems at the moment to be occupied with the development of a new cru communal centred around La Haye Fouassière. As Muscadetophiles will know, the crus communaux are new subregional appellations which focus the limelight on some of the best terroirs and most interesting wines of the Sèvre et Maine appellation. Those already ratified include Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet, and to qualify for these designations the wines in question must meet more stringent regulations which include details on vine age and time spent on the lees; full details can be found in my Muscadet Cru Communal guide.
Please log in to continue reading: