Perched where the Loire river meets the windswept Atlantic coast, Muscadet has long been a source for a classic, dry white wine. Served by the carafe in the oyster bars of Paris and London for decades, it’s refreshing, abundant, and inexpensive — a perfect glass to wash down a plate of crustaceans.
In the last few decades Muscadet has undergone a reinvention of sorts with the elevation of the region’s best towns to a new “Cru Communal” status. Our source here is Martin-Luneau, a fourth generation family domaine farming old vines on the plains south of Nantes. Combining excellent terroir with extended years on the lees, their wines offer an unusually complex take on a classic.
Martin-Luneau’s Muscadet “Gorges” 2022 is everything you want for warm weather. It’s a marriage of the brisk, refreshing essence of the sea, with the delicate herbal and fruit flavors of western France. The nose is clean and pure, showing dried flowers, melons, and lemon. The mouth is smooth and very dry, with notes of stones, salt air, and apple skins.
Oysters are the longstanding pairing of choice with Muscadet, and the thick savoriness in this wine is an exceptional foil for the fresh brinyness of an oyster. Otherwise moules marinières or goat cheese on crackers will do.
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Martin-Luneau Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine
Sur Lie “Gorges” 2022
bottle price: $25
