This weeks Wine Wednesday feature, the 2011 Louis Méitaireau Carte Noire Muscadet -Sèvre et Maine was a lesson for me - a reminder that when
you find something you like, don’t assume it will be there next time you go to
purchase. I purchased this wine a few weeks ago but just tried it the other
night and when I went to the wine shop yesterday I was told they had only gotten
1 case and wouldn’t be getting more - possibly because Muscadet is often
believed to be best consumed young. Well, maybe I won’t get more of this
vintage but I’ll keep asking and searching.
Of course we always want what we can’t have…. even more…..
This wine is from the Loire Valley of France, from the
Muscadet -Sèvre et Maine sub appellation ( lies between the Sèvre and Maine
rivers), and is an exception in that most French wines are named after the
growing region or in some cases the varietal. Here it’s believed that the wine
takes its name from a characteristic of the varietal Melon de Bourgogne simply
referred to as Melon and described as vin qui a un goût musqué “a wine with a musk like taste”.
Rest assured however, no musk like taste here or, I know what
you’re thinking, no melon either. There
is a wonderful earthiness or minerality that could by some possibly be
perceived as musky. On the nose, orange blossom and a slight salinity. This is
a light bodied wine with a crisp acidic finish and a steely earthiness on the
palate. This wine begs for raw oysters, which is usually what I have when I see
a Muscadet on a restaurant wine list. We enjoyed it with mussels and some
crusty bread – oh I wish I had “savored the flavors” just a little more
appreciatively. …… now I’m on a mission….. Also try with Boiled Shrimp Cocktail. To print or save the pairing suggestions, click the links below.
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