MARC PESNOT (Domaine de la Sénéchalière)
The Melon de Bourgogne grape is known to be the king of the varieties in Muscadet AOC ; a wine region nearing the Atlantic coast in the west end of Loire. Domaine de La Sénéchalière is located in a region rich in schists with a wide variety of terroirs :
Mica-schist, Leptynite, Amphibolite, Gneiss, Orthogneiss, Granite, Gabbro, Serpentine.
Marc also grows Folle Blanche (known as one of the varieties used in the Cognac production).
The vines are treated with essential oils and herbal teas. Yields are regularly low between 25 to 30 hL/ha and the harvest is done in 2 passes in the vineyards to guarantee a perfect maturity. Manual harvest with grape selection on the vines is essential.
In the cellar, light press by pneumatic press followed by long fermentations with indigenous yeasts, no chaptalization, no acidification, a slight dose of sulfur only at bottling if necessary. Malolactic fermentation develops in all of his cuvées. This operation occurs naturally when vinification is done without sulphites, and leads to reduction of acidity in the wines. This practice is not part of the INAO charter for the Muscadet appellation ; to allow more freedom in his work, all Marc Pesnot cuvées are 
classified as Vin de France.
Marc really stands out and vinifies atypical sulfur-free wines with very low yields, far from the region’s industrialized production standards.
