6AUG01 Domaine de la Grenaudiere MUSCADET, Sèvre et Maine sur Lie, Loire Valley, France 2023 (F, O)
4 and 6 bottle levels $22 (member price $19)
100% Muscadet (aka Melon de Bourgogne) 12.0% ABV
Muscadet is the perfect wine for sultry summer days and nights. This maritime area, with vineyards soaking in the salt sprayed air, has a history dating back to 1694. The other industry in the area is oyster farming, lending credence to “what grows together goes together.” Domaine de la Grenaudiere is produced by Ollivier Frères, which has been passed from father to children since the 17th century. Jean-Luc Ollivier is the co-proprietor, and is one of many Ollivier cousins producing Muscadet in the area. This is a tangy and bright wine with mouthwatering acidity. Notes of lemon, lime, seashell, lychee, grapefruit. It sees 6 months aging on the lees, for body and complexity.
Food Pairing Suggestions:
If there’s one food that pairs beautifully with Muscadet, it’s oysters, whether you serve them raw, grilled with herbed butter and lemon, or crispy fried Nawlins‐style in a Po Boy smothered with remoulade. This mineral edged white is also fantastic with other shellfish like crab cakes drizzled with aioli or Crab Salad Louie. As for cheese pairings, a Loire Valley selection such as Sainte-Marie de Touraine, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre or Crottin de Chavignol.