Review - Domaine de la Batardiere Muscadet

The Grapes Muscadet [moos-ka-day]

The Facts It's been a little while since I featured a white wine; I just can’t bring myself to drink whites when the weather is so cold! The Muscadet grape (also known as Melon de Bourgogne) comes from a region of France in the Loire Valley, right at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean (see map below). The most popular style of Muscadet from this region is Muscadet Sur Lie (which the Batardiere is), which means the wine spends a touch longer on its lees (dead yeast cells) than most other styles of white wine. This gives Muscadet Sur Lie a yeasty, almost biscuity-like aroma and a fuller body. You don't see wines made from the Muscadet grape around too much, certainly not stocked in the grocery store. Why? The same reason a lot of wines are not carried by supermarkets; “Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine” is difficult to pronounce and may take more than just a few sips to understand and appreciate. Consider Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine as typically a food pairing wine. You won’t get the full benefit from a Muscadet unless you’ve found the appropriate food to pair it with (See The Food Pairing).

Typically a Muscadet nose is neither pungent or shy, with an aroma that hints at sea breeze and citrus. On the palate, one will usually find a substantial medium body with racy acidity and depending on the winery and vintage, a good concentration of fruit with tart citrus notes.

The Place The Domaine de la Batardiere comes for the Loire Valley region of France. The sub-appellation of Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine (in the Loire) produces more than 75% of the region's entire production.

The Loire river that runs right through the Loire valley is the only reason why most of the vineyards are able to produce wines. The rivers reflect the sunlight and give a few degrees more of heat, enabling grapes to ripen. Since the winemakers in the Loire choose a less interventionist approach toward their wine production, the wines are heavily influenced by the soil and climate etc. otherwise known as terroir. As an example of this, if the vines are in clay soil, the wines will have a more fruit-forward style, if they are in more of a flinty soil they will have more of a minerally taste.

The Taste It’s been a while since I tasted a Muscadet. People might think it’s the same as Muscat and therefore going to be sickly sweet! Not even close, quite the opposite in fact! A beautifully perfumed Muscadet, showing lemon zest, unripened pear and peach on the nose. The palate shows lemon and lime, with more pear and green grape skin. Dry, with zero sugar, and a little musky on the mid-palate. Firm mineral and acidity, but stays nicely balanced with the fruit. Finishes drier than what the nose would have you believe. The finish is moderate in length and dry, and really shows the

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yeasty character if you allow the wine to warm up a little in the glass.

The Food Pairing DO NOT DRINK THIS WINE BY ITSELF!!! Due to the relatively moderate (12%) alcohol (which is typical in Muscadets), as well as the light, crisp acidity, the Domaine de la Batardière Muscadet is a match made in heaven with oysters and delicate seafood / shellfish / sushi. That’s a good tip to remember for any food/wine pairing: If you’re looking to pair a wine with a lighter, more delicate food, go for lower alcohol. 13% and under ideally. Let’s face it, shucking oysters yourself is a pain in the ass, therefore, instead of cooking for yourself, I’m recommending Sliders on Neptune Beach, without a

doubt my favorite restaurant in Jacksonville. The best, freshest oysters I’ve had, and the prices are very reasonable. I’m not too sure what their corkage fee is, but it can’t be too much. Try this wine if… - You like Sauvignon Blanc, but are looking for something new. - Oysters are on the menu. -You’re over the cold weather, and want it to hurry up and be Summer already! The Price $9.99 – it’s always good to taste wines / grapes that you haven’t tried before, even better when it’s priced under $10 retail!

Available from The Grotto 2012 San Marco Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32207-3214 (904) 398-0726 www.grottowine.com All listed prices are correct at time of post. Retailer is not required to honor any posted price. Remember to tell them who sent you!

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