A $15 Beauty from the Loire Valley

I remember about three years ago, in the summer time, my then girlfriend BrooklynLady and I were hanging out in her kitchen cooking together, talking about wine. She asked if I had ever tasted a Muscadet. No I had not, and what, do tell is Muscadet?

Muscadet (mus-ka-DAY) is a region in the western part of the Loire valley, near the city of Nantes. White wines from Muscadet are made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape. They tend to be light in color and body, and are intensely mineral driven. They are thought to be a perfect compliment to raw oysters from the nearby coast. Muscadets are gleefully paired, though, with any fresh shellfish or other seafood. To me, the wines can sometimes exhibit a kind of a briny-ness, although that might be because of my first association with Muscadet - served very cold with a dozen raw Oysters on a date with BrooklynLady. YUM. And it was a good date.

There are a couple of appellations in Muscadet, the best of which is considered to be Muscadet de Sevre et Maine. And the best bottles from that appellation are aged sur-lie, or on the lees, the musty mix of yeasts and other post-fermentation solids (a technique that is also common in Champagne, if I am not mistaken). This aging provides flavor complexity that can be missing in other bottles. About a year ago, Eric Asimov's tasting panel featured Muscadets, and the overall assessment of the wines was quite good.

I have tasted many a Muscadet since then, and I enjoy them tremendously. Sure, their bracing acidity and citrusy freshness calls out for a hot summer afternoon. But there are no fresh oysters in the summer months (don't eat raw oysters in summer months without an "R" in their name - they are breeding then and too musky to be enjoyed). I find Muscadets to be excellent winter white wines, oddly enough. They just seem to go so well with so many foods, and their mineral dryness is so refreshing in cold weather.

Have you tried a Muscadet? If you haven't, don't feel bad. There is a reason that the region is not that famous - the wines are not all so good. Even those from Sevre et Maine, aged sur-lie, are not reliably good. Your local wine store might not even carry any Muscadets. Some places stock Muscadet but not from Sevre et Maine, and for some reason they keep the bottles upright (they are an odd shape anyway - tall) and in the sale bins, not screaming out "quality."

But if your wine store does stock good Muscadet, try one the next time you're cooking a simple seafood dish this winter. Better yet, try this one, an absolute beauty for under $15:

2005 Domaine de la Pepiere (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie Clos des Briords, $14.
Pale straw color. Reserved but pleasant nose of wet stones. Light and just slightly effervescent mouth feel, rainwater and citrus on the palate. Very nice, but the party really began on day two. Much more developed citrus and wet stone aromas, yeasty smell too. Surprising length on the palate with pronounced mineral, citrus oils, and some ripe green melon too. This wine clearly will take on all sorts of interesting aromas and flavors with age. Shall I make room in the cellar for a $15 beauty? I think I shall!