TASTING NOTES
Few of the ordinary, dull wines from the standard Muscadet appellation make it to the United States. You're most likely to find wines from the Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine appellation, sourced from a slice of the Loire's south bank just east of the city of Nantes. Sèvre et Maine wines, which account for some 85 percent of the region's output, usually offer the best quality, though the Côtes de Grandlieu area, southwest of Nantes, also produces good wines. (Almost no wine from the remaining subregion, Côteaux de la Loire, makes it to the United States.)

All wines are from the Sèvre et Main appellation and were bottled sur lie, except as noted.

Domaine de la Louvetrie 2004 (Vin de Garde, $11): Refreshing; on the sharp side and slightly fizzy.  Drying in the mouth and salty at first, with a juicy finish and solid minerality.

Domaine de la Pepière 2004 (Louis/Dressner, $10): A classic offering from vintner Marc Ollivier. Fresh and tart, with bright grapefruit and lime, and that pronounced minerality. Long, generous finish.

Marc Ollivier 2004 Clos des Briords (Louis/Dressner, $13): Ollivier’s single-vineyard old vines offering. Vibrant tamarind and lime around an ample mineral core, with a stony finish. Slightly more subtle than the standard-issue Pepière, with good potential for aging.

Chateau de la Cantrie 2004 (Grape Expectations, $8): Best value of the tasting. Offers lime and tart apple up front, with a zing and a great stony core. Finishes on a bright, thirst-quenching note.

Domaine de la Quilla 2003 (Robert Kacher, $10): Great example from a difficult year. Slightly briny, with bold citrus and sour apple, laid atop well-defined mineral notes and an austere finish. Excellent oyster wine.

Luneau-Papin 2002 Terroir de Schistes Semper Excelsior Clos de Poyet (Louis/Dressner, $27): A very rare beast. This limited bottling from the all-schist Clos de Poyet vineyard gets an extended rest on lees for one year, well beyond official guidelines, so the wine isn’t labeled as traditional sur-lie Muscadet. Rich and evocative, with ripe nectar and citrus, a gorgeous mineral core (hence the name) and a lingering mandarin-orange finish. As layered as good white Burgundy, it’s crisp and stunning – more Chablis than Muscadet. Meant to age, it’s a curious, compelling wine.

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