2012 Chateau L Oiseliniere de la Ramee, Muscadet Sevre et Maine, Sur Lie, Loire Valley, France.
The Chereau family’s small estate in Muscadet sevre et Maine includes some 100 year old Melon vines and they produce three cuvees, this basic from younger vines, one from those 100 year old vines and a special long lees aged cuvee that spends a minimum of 3 years on the lees and and released after almost 10 years in total from harvest, don’t let anyone tell you Muscadet and Melon wines aren’t serious, they are extremely interesting and age-worthy. Muscadet is a place of the sea, and it’s grape is Melon de Bourgogne, this varietal makes for a dry, salty and briny wine, sometimes called musky and in it’s basic style is a fresh lively wine that is known to be a perfect oysters wine and is great with cheeses and picnic fare. The 2012 Chateau L Oiseliniere de la Ramee by Bernard Chereau is vibrant and mineral driven with green sour apple, white peach, lemon/lime and melon fruits with a good dose of vivid acidity and a soft texture along with sea salt, seashore notes and wet chalky stones. This basic Melon is delicious and delightful, I know I will be sipping this durning the summer to come and without question will be sucking down some oysters with this lovely white. I look forward to sampling the aged cuvee, a 2005 vintage due out soon and the 100 year old vines bottling, these should be great if this basic cuvee is anything to go by, drink now and over the next year or two.
($16 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive
