From behind the camera to behind the plow, Pierre Goiset’s remarkable career change has brought fresh energy to the ancient soils of Muscadet. Since establishing his domain in 2021, this former cameraman has been crafting exceptional natural wines on his tiny three-hectare estate in Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine. His genuinely hands-on approach—working the soil with horses, applying biodynamic preparations, and embracing minimal intervention in the cellar—has quickly established him as a rising star in France’s natural wine renaissance.
The Winemaker and His Muscadet Domain
Have you ever wondered what drives someone to abandon a stable career to pursue the uncertain path of winemaking? For Pierre Goiset, it was the pull of authenticity and connection to the land. His minuscule 3.1-hectare domain—2.6 hectares of Melon de Bourgogne and just over half a hectare of Merlot—sits at the picturesque confluence of the Sèvre Nantaise and Maine rivers south of Nantes. Despite its modest size, the estate showcases remarkable diversity, with each parcel offering distinct expressions of Muscadet’s underappreciated terroir.
Production remains deliberately small-scale, with approximately 4,500 bottles in his inaugural 2021 vintage. This artisanal scale allows Goiset to maintain an intimate knowledge of each vine, ensuring quality over quantity in every precious bottle.
Natural Viticulture and Geology of Distinction
The geological complexity of Goiset’s vineyards provides a fascinating canvas for his winemaking adventure. His parcels span three distinctive soil types across Maisdon-sur-Sèvre: gneiss, orthogneiss, quartz, and granite—each imparting unique mineral signatures to the resulting wines. This diversity creates a natural laboratory for terroir expression through the lens of minimal intervention.
Goiset’s commitment to sustainable farming goes beyond simple organic certification. He implements biodynamic preparations, treats his vines with herbal teas instead of synthetic chemicals, and—most charmingly—works the soil using horse-powered tillage whenever possible. These methods require immense dedication but preserve soil health and biological diversity that Goiset believes is essential for authentic wine expression.
Visually, his artistic sensibility shines through in his colorful, abstract label designs—each unique to its cuvée yet united by a distinctive modern aesthetic that reflects the wines’ natural vibrancy.
The Wines: A Transparent Expression of Place
In the cellar, Goiset embraces natural winemaking while maintaining a pragmatic approach to quality. His wines ferment exclusively with indigenous yeasts, undergo no filtering, and receive minimal sulfur additions—just 25 mg/L, well below even the strictest natural wine certifications. All wines age in neutral fiber tanks for 11 months, allowing for pure expression without oak influence.
La Mauguit 2022 showcases Melon Blanc (the local name for Melon de Bourgogne) from vines planted around 1950 on gneiss, orthogneiss, and quartz soils in the La Mauguitonnière parcel of Maisdon-sur-Sèvre. The wine displays a golden straw color with remarkable clarity despite being unfiltered. Its artistic label combines bold red and blue striped elements—a visual hint at the wine’s vibrant tension between fruit and minerality. After 11 months of aging in fiber tanks, it develops a compelling combination of lemony freshness and saline mineral structure—perfect with local seafood. At 12.5% alcohol, it maintains the brightness characteristic of the region while offering additional depth from its old vine fruit.
Le Quéry 2022 presents another expression of Melon Blanc, this time from genuinely ancient vines planted between 1920 and 1960 on granite soils in the Le Quéry parcel of Maisdon-sur-Sèvre. The deep-rooted vines produce a wine of golden amber hue and impressive concentration. Its colorful abstract label with purple, orange, and green geometric patterns reflects the wine’s multi-layered personality. At 12.5% alcohol, the wine showcases the grape’s versatility through Goiset’s natural approach, offering greater textural depth than conventional Muscadet while maintaining the granitic mineral tension that makes these wines so distinctive.
Grande Falaise 2022 presents Goiset’s exploration into red winemaking with Merlot from young vines planted on granite soil in the Le Quéry parcel. The wine undergoes a gentle infusion of “quelques jours” (a few days) rather than extended maceration, preserving freshness and delicacy. Its vibrant ruby-purple color catches the light beautifully, and the distinctive label features abstract orange shapes against turquoise and purple accents—as vibrant as the wine itself. At 13.5% alcohol, it’s slightly more powerful than the whites but remains balanced and food-friendly. After 11 months in fiber tanks, the wine defies Muscadet’s white wine reputation with its pure fruit expression and subtle earthiness, showing that this maritime terroir can produce compelling reds when approached naturally.
A Taste of Living Wines Worth Seeking
Despite the challenges of frost-affected seasons and the learning curve of natural winemaking, Pierre Goiset remains refreshingly humble about his journey. The severely frost-affected 2021 season tested his resolve, yielding just 13 hectoliters per hectare against a target of 30, yet the experience only strengthened his determination to work harmoniously with nature.
His living wines represent more than bottles to be consumed—they embody a philosophy of respect for nature, tradition, and artistic expression. While production remains small and distribution limited to select natural wine establishments in Paris, Nantes, and beyond, these wines offer a compelling glimpse into Muscadet’s evolving identity and exciting future.
Next time you’re looking to experience genuine, terroir-driven wine made with heart, horses, and artistic vision, seek out a bottle from this remarkable newcomer. Your taste buds—and the planet—will thank you.
