Appellation
Muscadet
Identity card
RegionalAOPWhite
Loire Valley · Recognised on 23 September 1937
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- White only: at most 70 hl/ha, at least 9.5% natural alcohol.
- Melon, with no more than 10% Chardonnay.
- The three narrower Muscadets may be sold as "Muscadet".
Grape varieties
White wine onlyMelon de Bourgogne
Accessory varieties: Chardonnay (10% at most of the holding's vines)
The blend follows the proportions of the vineyard
Production rules
70
hl/ha
Maximum yield
9.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
5,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 115 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14.5 % ABV across 63 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 125 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Slopes above the Loire, Sèvre, Maine and Grandlieu
- Soils: Granite, gabbro, gneiss; sandy, stony soils
- Climate: Oceanic: mild winters, cool summers, sea breezes
Wine style
- still white
- delicate aromas
- fruity or floral
- freshness
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
26 November 2025
Order of 26 November 2025 amending the order of 5 February 2021 approving the specification of the AOC “Muscadet” (JORF no. 0283 of 3 December 2025, text no. 37; specification published in BO-Agri no. 50 of 11 December 2025). Appellation first recognised by the decree of 23 September 1937.
Labelling terms
- "Primeur" or "nouveau" allowed, with the vintage
- The geographical name "Vin de Loire" may be added
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Muscadet »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
Muscadet is the regional appellation of the Nantes vineyard: its vines lie mostly on the slopes above the Loire, the Sèvre and the Maine, the Goulaine marshes and Lake Grandlieu, south and east of Nantes. Recognised in 1937, it makes only still white wines, from Melon with no more than 10% Chardonnay, with delicate aromas, mostly fruity or floral. Wines of the three narrower Muscadet appellations may also be sold under this name.
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Muscadet
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