Looks like I`m hooked on Muscadet (BP).

Have to blame the forumites here who have been waxing lyrically on Pepiere, Chasseloir and such!!!

WTN: `04 Muscadet Chateau l`Oiseliniere de la Ramee--Chereau-Carre.

Opened a couple of hours and nicely chilled. 12%alc, small bubbles on the glass. The colour is a pale straw with no depth, seems typical to me. Sur-lie of course.

Nose. Delightful, flowery, seashell fragrance. some minerals, fresh cut grass. Apple and melon. Stood up overnight too.

Palate. Initial mouthfeel entry is fresh, crisp, zippy acidity, dry and flinty. There is a touch of CO2 from the sur-lie process. Excellent acidity and great finish. Soft ripe apple, cleansing all round. "Rainwater" thought a fellow taster, where have I heard that before? I really appreciate the leesy character here, not overdone.
All in balance, just a hint of sourness on the finish. Nice off-dry style, memorable. Is the `04 Pepiere like this?

* wine really held up overnight. Lovely
Cost was $19.00 Cdn.
Food, sauteed shrimp in garlic lemon butter.

Heres a tasting note from last month.......

WTN: `03 Chereau-Carre Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine Cuvee des Ceps Centenaires Ch.de Chasseloir.

Historic vineyards with vines 100 yrs old. The Cuvee des Ceps is known as one of the better Muscadets around. 12% alc and nicely chilled, was great with shrimp tossed in a lemon garlic butter sauce.

Colour. Lively looking light straw, hardly any legs here.

Nose. Flinty, oyster shells--seems true to form! The grassiness reminds me of a SB found you-know-where.

Palate. Slight spritz on initial entry and just love the un-zippy acidity here. Yup, its ripe but nice one. Crisp, nice balance, memorable aftertaste. Pear, apple, juicy lemon finish. I really like the mid-palate, slight herby streak and big finish. Fruit purity was remarked on by fellow tasters. One taster found it a tad un-typical so we had to explain the vintage conditions. "Leesy" character not understood by some present!

** after 24hrs, and vacu-vin, no downturn for this one. More gavelly on the nose, palate has some melon on the finish. Must try again, I`m hooked. Cost was $20.00 Cdn.
I see from my cellar book, I have the regular `04 offering. Up next with more shrimp.

[David M. Bueker]

Nice notes Bob.

I had a bottle of the '04 Pepiere Cuvee Eden open in the fridge for 4 days with no perceptible loss of flavor. Strong stuff!

To echo David's comments I've had the '04 regular and Briords Pepiere open for a few days and they were just as yummy all the way through.
I find more elegance in the Briords than the Eden. The Eden is a whopper of a muscadet and both are quite wonderful in their own right.
I havent had the wine reviewed here so I cant compare it to other wines but it sounds more similar to the regular or Briords than to the Eden.

"Oh yeah, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah" (sounds of whistles, drums and bells). "The town crier wishes to announce the arrival of the `04 Pepiere on the sandy shores of Canada".

Yup, forming a line-up at DeVines already. It sure took long enough to get here!!

Given the irregular schedule of that train, I hope you are stocking up well.

Bob, you say "There is a touch of CO2 from the sur lie process." Would you please explain how the sur lie process leads to CO2. I share your enthusiasm for Muscadets but have been finding a lot of bottles with secondary fermentation, or that's what I thought the problem was. Please enlighten me.

Hi Clint, I am not a scientist so hard to understand all the wine-making processes! This Chasseloir had a hint of spritz (not as noticeable as other wines tryed) which I put down to co2,but guess secondary fermentation comes into the equation too,as well as the stirring up of the lees! I am sure there are a few here who could explain better? Best get off to Google!!

Hi Clint, I am not a scientist so hard to understand all the wine-making processes! This Chasseloir had a hint of spritz (not as noticeable as other wines tryed) which I put down to co2,but guess secondary fermentation comes into the equation too,as well as the stirring up of the lees! I am sure there are a few here who could explain better? Best get off to Google!!

I see (thanks to Google) that the yeast cells in the lies are not necessarily all dead, which I would guess might account for a touch of CO2 from the sur lie process. In any case [say our friends at Google], "In the spring [after the wine spends the winter on lies}, the surplus of carbon dioxide, gives the wine a pearly nature which increases its freshness and vivacity." Which raises the question: how much spritz of this sort is desirable or acceptable? Not much, in my case.

Nagh, I am not a big fan of too much spritz either. The Dr L had too much for sure, the `05.
I remember years ago discovering Chenin Blanc from Washington and quite a few were spritzy. Took some getting used to.

Just to let everyone know that I continued on the Muscadet trail today and found another inviting looking `04..................Chateau du Coing de St. Fiacre, Veronique Chereau-Gunther vigneronne. Cost was $17.00 Cdn, stay tuned!!

Just to let everyone know that I continued on the Muscadet trail today and found another inviting looking `04..................Chateau du Coing de St. Fiacre, Veronique Chereau-Gunther vigneronne. Cost was $17.00 Cdn, stay tuned!!

Looks like I will be opening tonite with some shrimp.Oh, and the lady barrel racers are coming over for a visit so should be an interesting evening.

This one is a great value Bob:

2005 Chateau de la Ragotiere, Muscadet, Sevre et Maine, Sur Lie ($8.99 U.S.). Alcohol level: 12%. A perfect seafood wine.

Gives the eye a pale yellow color with a hint of green. Lime and mint on nose and upfront. More citrus and quite intense minerality (aka Loire dirt) and additional flavor cross the palate. The finish lasts longer than your average white.

Hi Clint, I am not a scientist so hard to understand all the wine-making processes! This Chasseloir had a hint of spritz (not as noticeable as other wines tryed) which I put down to co2,but guess secondary fermentation comes into the equation too,as well as the stirring up of the lees! I am sure there are a few here who could explain better? Best get off to Google!!

I see (thanks to Google) that the yeast cells in the lies are not necessarily all dead, which I would guess might account for a touch of CO2 from the sur lie process. In any case [say our friends at Google], "In the spring [after the wine spends the winter on lies}, the surplus of carbon dioxide, gives the wine a pearly nature which increases its freshness and vivacity." Which raises the question: how much spritz of this sort is desirable or acceptable? Not much, in my case.

Somehow, I missed this when it was originally posted, but as a home winemaker, I thought I'd chime in with what I know about lees and spritz. CO2 is somewhat soluble in water and thus can be present as a residual from the fermentation. Usually the CO2 is usually dissappated by physical means such as splashing during the racking process, agitating or by filtering the wine. After time with no sugar to eat, the yeast cells will sporate and for all intents and purposes they are dead. The cells decompose and add their flavor to the wine. This is what happens in champagne after bottle fermentation has been completed. Aging on the lees is not necessary for spritz to be present. Any wine that is treated gently and bottled in a timely manner after fermentation has completed could have spritz. This would be the desirable manner to have it in the wine if the winemaker chooses it. Spritz produced by a secondary fermentation in the bottle in not desirable, as it will yield off odors and indicates either the wine was improperly bottled with residual sugar or that malo-lactic fermentation took place in the bottle. Finally, I believe some winemakers who want their wine to have spritz may simply expose the wine to CO2 while bottling.

This one is a great value Bob....

Ummmm? What Muscadet isn't great value?

This one is a great value Bob....

Ummmm? What Muscadet isn't great value?

Well, we are in the era of Luxury Muscadet cuvees..

Well, we are in the era of Luxury Muscadet cuvees..

I found the '04 Bossard Granit on close-out for $16 and felt like I got a bargin until I thought of it as costing 1.5x Briords.

I found the '04 Bossard Granit on close-out for $16 and felt like I got a bargin until I thought of it as costing 1.5x Briords.

The Briords and the Granit are obviously great wines, although that is a bit expensive for the Granit, sounds like normal not closeout price to me.

Anyway, neither are "luxury cuvees" and while most great Muscadet is undervalued, we are entering a world where the price will continue to rise, especially when people make aforementioned luxury cuvees, which was my only point.

Not that they shouldn't do it.

although that is a bit expensive for the Granit,

The Granit and Orthogneiss list for a whopping $24 around here. with Gneiss being sold for $15.

So who is making this designer stuff and what are the wines like?

Social evening last night at the Doris Ranch with the arrival of some regulars from the rodeo circuit, the lady barrel racers!!!! Turned out to be a Budlite time around the kitchen table but I did manage to get all to taste my muskydec with some excellent garlic sauteed shrimp.

WTN: `04 Chateau du Coing de Saint Fiacre Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Veronique Chereau-Gunther.

Colour. Medium straw but not the greatest light.

Nose. Sea-shells, minerally/flinty, citrus. Very complex but so inviting.

Palate. Apple and pear, bracing but just off-dry. Has wonderful acidity, grip and zesty/zingy! Lingering aftertaste, quite gulpable and very much on the same level as the Pepiere and Chereau-Carre. Lacked the spritz of some others but an excellent offering. Very well liked by all, cost is $17 Cdn.

Ye`all better be warned. An `04 Chereau-Carre the Comte Loup de Chasseloir is about ready to go once those darn shrimp are defrosted!

Talk about QPR. Our local wine shop is selling 2007 Pepiere for $11.50. It sets your teeth on edge now but in another ten years should be terrific.

[David M. Bueker]

There was some 2005 Peppiere Granite de Clisson on the shelf at my favorite shop for $17. Needless to say I had to clean them out.

Goodness me David, that is a hell of a price. Far too many punters pass these wines by!
Picked up some more `05s today, all Chereau-Carre stable.

David, I know that `03 seems to have produced wines that were a tad riper than expected. Funny thing is that yesterdays `04 ( a better more classic vintage) had some ripeness too. How would u explain this?