Domaine de l'Ecu is a renowned French winery in the Loire Valley, located in the small village of Le Landreau, south of the city of Nantes, within the Muscadet Sevre et Maine Aoc appellation and on the 'rive gauche' of the Loire. The winery is a reference point in the field of organic farming because it has been run for decades by winemaker Guy Bossard, a pioneer of biodynamic agriculture in the Loire, and today carried on by Fred Niger.
His path, aimed at moving away from the production of standardized wines for the production of authentic bottles faithful to the terroir, began in 1972 and came to completely follow biodynamic farming methods in 1992. Always in order to remain faithful to the terroir and traditions, Guy chooses to use spontaneous fermentations in concrete vats placed underground or in terracotta amphorae. Domaine de l'Ecu has 22 hectares of vineyards cultivated according to biodynamic principles, without any use of chemicals, and the form of cultivation used is the traditional sapling. The element which characterizes the vineyard is the variety of grapes cultivated, about 300 different types of which 16 hectares are cultivated with Melon de Bourgogne, the grape used to make Muscadet, and the rest with Folle Blanche, Cabernet and Chardonnay.
In the winery are followed the same principles of the vineyard such as the prohibition of using chemicals, minimal interventions, spontaneous fermentations etc... Niger's goal is to produce authentic wines, without any trick or help. Domaine de l'Ecu's wines are characterized by great intensity and aromatic richness, which are balanced thanks to a nice crispness and pleasantness. The winery is also a reference for Muscadet, characterized by good structure, depth and minerality.
