You may not realize it, but you’ve probably had wine made from Melon de Bourgogne grapes, and probably more than you realize. That’s because all wines from the Muscadet region of France’s Loire Valley are made from Melon de Bourgogne, though you will likely never find the name of the varietal on any wine label.

Today we sampled two recent-vintage Muscadets, a 2007 from L’Aubiniere and a 2008 from Michel Delhommeau (“Cuvee St. Vincent”), both from the Sèvre et Maine sub-appellation, where the bulk of Muscadet wines are produced. Both are great bargains.

2007 L’Aubiniere Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie is the more restrained of the pair, a moderately fruity wine with a moderately big body that speaks of white peaches, mango, and table grapes. The nose is virtually nonexistent, despite the ripeness on the tongue, which is odd, yet not a complete loss. B / $11

2008 Michel Delhommeau “Cuvee St. Vincent” Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie is jammier, clearly with a bit of residual sugar. Also a very mild nose, the fruit is more powerful in the Delhommeau, again with tropical mango and peach and some pineapple. The finish is off a bit, maybe a little on the sour side, though with food I expect it won’t be as noticeable. B- / $12

2007 L'Aubiniere Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie

$11

8

Rating

8.0/10