The simple joys of the Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine

Clocking in at $20 exactly, this wine is worth every penny, and maybe even more. All I have to say about this wine is that it is absolutely fantastic. Of course, with my tastes, it has that hint of eccentricity and one or two unique flavours that make it a rather obscure wine in most North American wine stores, but it can be found for those willing to seek it out.
The wine I'm here to tell you about today is another Loire Valley wine, but from the region just to the west of Tourraine where that Gamay from my last post was from. This wine is from the Nantais and carries the appellation name of Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine. Wines from this area must be made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne grapes and a common trend is for wine makers to employ lees stirring as a technique. This is essentially the process of aging the wine for a period of time of the deposits of dead or residual yeast cells and tends to add an extra layer of complexity to the wine as well as notes of bread and baked goods.
Domaine Pierre de la Grange, also sometimes referred to as Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin is widely recognized as a wine that provides excellent value for money. It is also on the list of wines imported by Louis/Dressner in the US, an importer who tends to bring over a lot of wines that appeal to my palate.
At 12%abv, it's not a heavily alcoholic wine but makes up it's body with what I feel are the flavours imparted by the lees stirring. It is a pale wine with notes of Baked bread, red apple/orchid fruits, stony and mineral with some white blossoms coming through. This wine kind of made me picture freshly baked apple pie. On the palate, it was pretty much the same as the nose. I felt that the lees added a nice bready complexity to the wine and also added some roundness and richness. I thought there might have been a hint of oak but I might have been confusing that with the yeast flavours. It turns out that there was some old wood aging which explains why it was such a background flavour and so well integrated. The finish was nice and long and I would have happily followed this bottle up with another of the same a few times over. A great wine and especially with summer coming around, a wine worth trying while enjoying the sunshine, the beach and the ocean.
Can't wait for the next bottle!!

Loire Valley meets the Gamay Grape

Gamay is just one of those grapes that's hard not to like, unless you don't like simple, honest and straightforward. It's a kind and peaceful wine that in my mind is perfect for just about any occasion. I've tried Gamay wines from Ontario, BC and of course also it's native homeland in Beaujolais which is in the southern part of Burgundy in France. All of them have pleased me for their delightful character and charm, their fresh fruitiness and uncomplicated persona. They aren't wines that want to slap you in the face or screw you over, they just want to help you forget about how evil the world can be for a little while.

When I came across the Domaine Octavie 2008 Gamay from Touraine in the Loire Valley, I immediately knew I would have to try this wine. The Loire Valley in France in a part of the wine world that I've only recently started exploring. It has a variety a climates and as a result produces a whole range of red, white, rose, sweet and sparkling wines.

I wasn't fully aware until I started researching this bottle that Gamay was much of a grape in the Loire Valley, and while it's not one of the main grapes of the area, it's common enough to at least get a mention in the litterature for the area.
Domaine Octavie is part of Terra Vitis which encompasses vitners and growers from around France who are working together to promote sustainable viticultural practices. This movement towards environmentally concious grape growing practice is a trend that seems to be taking root more in the Loire Valley than anywhere else in France, although many other areas such as Burgundy are seeing a growing trend in this direction. I personally beleive that it does make a difference in the wine and this is part of the reason why I love the Loire Valley so much. Plus, I just like alot of the wines from here. What's also nice about the Loire is that Robert Parker never really liked wines from this area so the prices are still reasonable and the winemakers tend to stick to the ideas they have for their wines instead of trying to create wine specifically for the Parkerized market. Consumers therefore end up with unique, terroir driven wines. This alone is a great reason to explore the Loire Valley.

Now about this wine; 100% Gamay grapes, 12% abv, It has the typical fruit forwardness of Gamay with the distinctly cherry, almost sour, kind of underripe cherry flavour I associate with cooler climate Gamay's like Ontario or BC instead of the warmer Beaujolais ones. It has also some distinct leathery/earthy tones that add a nice rusticness to this wine, as well as some slight peppery notes. It's medium body and elegant, well balances with tannins that aren't harsh at all. Overall a very enjoyable, easy drinking red wine. I imagine it would go well with a cheese and cold cut platter.
Have already had this bottle twice and would definately get it again. Worth trying for the adventurous and the cautious wine drinkers alike!