Bregeon Muscadet Sevre et Maine

The Fame... this wine is a “best in tasting” and “best value” selection from the NYTimes. Andre-Michel Bregeon is not as well known as some of his peers in the small community of growers dedicated to real quality Muscadet, which is odd, given the quality and consistency of his work. Fame is bad for prices... drink this real-deal Muscadet today with shellfish or other foods that you like with dry white wines. This wine defies the idea that Muscadet is just neutral and acidic: it functions like any other good white wine.

In a Name... Muscadet has but one obstacle in the fickle American wine market. It shares a syllable with other wines known for sweetness, which are often not specifically what shoppers are seeking (Muscadine, Muscat, etc.), and if they were, they might be shocked and confused by the lean, dry, and often acidic style of Muscadet. Though that description might sound like another obstacle; it is most definitely not. These wines, when made well, possess grace and elegance, and minerality not masked by grapey overtones. The name is neither a grape nor a place, but instead just the name of the wine from the western end of the Loire Valley, from four appellations in the Pays Nantais region, an area swooping out southward from the city of Nantes.

The Lightness of the Wine... Melon de Bourgogne is the grape responsible for Muscadet. As its name suggests, its origins lie in Burgundy, in centuries past. Like Gamay, it was outlawed there, and possibly for the best as well, for its popularity and success as Muscadet is only growing. The grape itself is not known for strength of character, but for cold-weather hardiness and very light aroma and flavor. This is not to discount the great things that have been done with it as Muscadet. The wines are usually bottled sur lie, French for on lees (which are skins, seeds, pulp, yeast, etc.), and straight out of tank or barrel where they have been macerating with such lees for weeks or months. This extended contact imbues the wine with subtle richness. Muscadet is the only wine in France, besides those that are fortified, to have a maximum alcoholic strength, which is set at 12%.