Located on a plateau bounded by the Sèvre Nantaise and Maine rivers, southwest of Nantes on the fringes of the Loire valley, Valton Frères is a family-owned vineyard that has been active for several generations. With his cellar in the heart of St Lumine de Clisson, winemaker Antoine Valton Encompassing several vineyards spread over different villages, some of which are more than 100 years old, the wines it produces are a rich testament to the area’s terroir.
Located on a plateau bounded by the Sèvre Nantaise and Maine rivers, southwest of Nantes on the fringes of the Loire valley, Valton Frères is a family-owned vineyard that has been active for several generations. With his cellar in the heart of St Lumine de Clisson, winemaker Antoine Valton Encompassing several vineyards spread over different villages, some of which are more than 100 years old, the wines it produces are a rich testament to the area’s terroir.
With plenty of granitic character, exemplified by rich deposits of gneiss and gabbros (black granite), in the subsoil this terroir is key to producing wines with a distinctly mineral character. Chief among these is Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine, made from Melon de Bourgogne, or simply melon. With a lithe, acidic character, these wines are crisp and easy-drinking with a citric tang. Melon vines comprise six hectares of the nine maintained by Valton, but Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Pinot Gris are also important varietals, creating a full range of whites, rosés, reds and pétillant naturel.
In vinification, only traditional methods are used, with no chemical fertilizers and close control of the must, allowing the fruity character of the wine to shine. As a certified independent winemaker, all of Valton’s wines are estate-produced and bottled.