From: Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Loire Valley, France
Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne
Tasting Notes: The nose is dominated by the fresh aromas reminiscent of sea spray from the nearby Atlantic, along with lemon and grapefruit zest and light floral accents. The wine is characterized by its brisk saline minerality, hints of green apple, lemon citrus, and slight round pearlescence from just the right amount of lees contact during the winemaking process. A perfectly fresh sipper for your next barbecue, trip to the beach, or summer picnic!
Pairing: This wine would be the perfect bottle to open on your next trip to the oyster bar (Taylor Shellfish is calling our name!). For more great pairing ideas, think of anything fresh and/or from the sea: try it with steamed clams, Moules à la Marinière, a classic shrimp cocktail, or zesty veggies like spring onions or garlic shoots (shoutout to the Ballard Farmer’s Market for coming strong on these lately). Taking a hint from the name and front label of this wine (“Les Petites Sardines”), we’re sharing a pairing recipe below for Sardine Toasts With Tomato and Sweet Onion—a perfect use for the tinned Matiz Wild Sardines we also carry at the shop.
Sardine Toasts With Tomato and Sweet Onion
By Melissa Clark
About.
This wine comes from a very small, atypical coop of just ten members, all from the commune of Le Pallet in the heart of Muscadet. Le Pallet is one of the only seven communes in all of Muscadet with “Cru” status, and many consider it the best of these Crus. All ten members have their own properties, and a good bit of their production goes into domaine bottlings. The remainder of what they make goes to the coop for use in a larger appellation “blend” like this wine. The driving force behind these growers collaborating in cooperative format is the ability to share one single winemaking facility along with sales and compliance duties.
The soil is interesting here, the northwest part of the town consists of light colored rocks (Roches Blanches) mixed with sand and the southwest area is dark colored (Roches Noires) and sand. The choice of this cuvée is based on the search for a harmonious balance between purity, vivacity, richness, elegance, and, ultimately, regional character.
