This wine crossed my path during a conversation with a sales person at the new Spec’s that opened recently in San Antonio. I mentioned I was interested in trying a white wine for around $10 that I’d never had before.

Something different.

After one or two somewhat less than inspiring ideas, they suggested the 2007 Les Frères Couillaud Chateau de la Ragotiere Muscadet Sèvre Et Maine Sur Lie from the Loire Valley in France.

Bingo.

I was immediately interested in this wine for a couple reasons. First, I’d yet to try a Muscadet and had been wanting to get a bottle since reading about the great value it can deliver in this WSJ Tastings column. Second, it offered a chance to learn about the Sur Lie fermentation method.

From Wikipedia:

Sur lie literally translates from the French as ‘on lees’, lees being the yeasty residue remaining in the cask after fermentation. ‘Sur lie’ wines are bottled directly from the lees without racking (a process for filtering the wine)…The lees may be stirred (batonnage in French) in order to promote uptake of the lees flavor.

Upon seeing that explanation, I expected the wine to be cloudy like a Hefe Weizen beer. It wasn’t. Both the color and clarity were within the bounds of what I imagine most people would consider normal.

But the taste, that was where I thought this wine really separated itself from your normal twelve dollar bottle of white wine. For my palate it was, in a word, delicious.

Muscadet is often credited with being a smart choice to pair with seafood (oysters and shellfish in particular) and I am adding my voice to that chorus as well. I served this wine with a simple sauteed shrimp dish and it was a home run.

Kudos to Spec’s for the recommendation. I would definitely buy this wine again.

Wine Name: 2007 Les Frères Couillaud Chateau de la Ragotiere Muscadet Sèvre Et Maine Sur Lie
Three Nine Wine Rating: (4.5/5)