Delhommeau Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Harmonie 2009
White Blends
from Loire, France
winemaker's notes:
Produced from a single parcel of old vines planted on gabbro soils, this should age well for some time. Fermented and aged in tank.
Muscadet, although not as well known in the United States as it is in France, is the largest white wine
appellation of the country. Several smaller appellations make up the general area of Muscadet including Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire, and Muscadet Coteaux des Grands Lieux.
The most famous is Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie. One of the only appellations to require ageing on the lees and to name this requirement in the name of the appellation, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie only comes from the best parcels of the region and must follow strict guidelines.
The Melon de Bourgogne grape, also called Muscadet, was brought to the region centuries ago from Burgundy. It flourished in this new environment and became famous in France for its ability to complement to saltiest of oysters and shellfish of the region.
critical acclaim:
"Delhommeau and his importer have conspired to lower the U.S. retail prices on his wines, which in view of the quality offered by his single-vineyard, old vines 2008 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee Harmonie is frankly a bit daft, as this would represent a sensational value even at last year's price! The nose of lime, chalk, and sea air will pique your appetite and set you salivating even before it hits the palate – or rather, I am inclined to say, before you hit the surface of its seemingly bottomless pool of saline, citric refreshment. The amalgam of fresh lime, grapefruit, rhubarb, salt, citrus pips, and iodine on the palate puts me a bit in mind of certain Gruner Veltliner, but the combination of sheer intensity with alcoholic lightness and this wine's juicy, effortless elegance, as well as the sheer mineral vocabulary required in an attempt to capture its finish are archetypal Muscadet. Relish this anytime over the next 2-3 years.
"
91 Points
The Wine Advocate
"Silver-straw color. Offers the same high-pitched, mineral-driven citrus profile of the St. Vincent but with added elements of yellow plum and pungent herbs. Lively but deeply concentrated orange and orchard fruit flavors show weightier nectarine and mango qualities in the mid-palate, with a dusty mineral element adding focus. The herbal quality repeats on the tangy finish. For the price, this is a steal."
91 Points
International Wine Cellar
User Reviews
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This wine is clean and crisp and dry and will compete with the very best French Chablis.
This wine is clean and crisp and try and will compete with the very best French Chablis.
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