The 2023 Muscadet “les Perrières” from Domaine Gadais is only produced in top flight vintages, with the wine barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts in old casks and aged in these vessels for eighteen months, prior to bottling. This is an excellent terroir, but by the Gadais family’s lofty standards, these are not particularly old vines, as they are just nearing fifty years of age. The 2023 Muscadet “les Perrières” delivers a superb and gently oaky bouquet of breadfruit, a touch of apple, a lovely leesy whirl that is gently nutty, a complex base of soil, dried flowers and a discreet framing of vanillin oak from the older barrels. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and zesty, with a great core of fruit, fine soil undertow, lovely focus and balance and a long, gently oaky finish. While the bit of oak here is hardly classic in style, it works brilliantly and this is one delicious glass of wine.
94 points, John Gilman, View From The Cellar (Aug 2025)
This domaine seemingly can do no wrong. The 2023 Les Perrieres Monopole, from a “young” plot of 50-year-old vines, is another superb effort from Gadais. Quite closed at first on the nose, it gradually opens to reveal bracing, terroir-driven minerality of crushed stones and ocean brine, which gives way to concentrated lemon essence, a very subtle honey note, lemon verbena, and a faint trace of mint, all supported by a gentle, precise sur lie undertone. Much racier and more mineral than the Peninsula on the palate, its measured sur lie quality, medium weight and excellent balance support flavors of lemon zest, white lilies, vibrant oyster shell, soft exotic spices from the barrel fermentation, lemon verbena, and fresh basil. Like all the Gadais wines, it’s a benchmark Muscadet that can cruise for a long time in the cellar, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for getting into it now, as it’s so incredibly expressive.
93+ points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Loire Buyer (Dec 2025)
Round and mellow, with plenty of apple, pear and melon aromas. Medium-bodied, creamy and well rounded. Creamy fruit with a mellow finish. Drink now.
92 points, James Suckling (Oct 2025)