Celebrating the End of Summer with Muscadet and Chablis

Well, Labor Day weekend is in the past and autumn is on the way. But it’s still hot here in the mid-Atlantic and, now that the crowds have subsided, it’s still prime time for the beach.

I drink Muscadet and Chablis all year, but they’re my go-to choices for hot weather. I had some friends over this weekend and popped a bunch of bottles, but these two were the best of the bunch.

2010 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Light gold color. Love the salty, briny, oceanic nose on this. Lemon peel, candied ginger and almond notes, too, really lovely to sniff. Medium-bodied, tangy acid, plenty of life and briskness. Orange and lemon peels with richer yellow pear fruit as well, all of it slathered in crusty sea salt and oyster shells. Love the way these honey and nougat notes are woven in so well. Complex, long, mineral-laden, lots to contemplate but so fresh and easy to drink. Glad I opened this now because it’s singing, but I’d be interested to try this again in 2017 or so. (92 points)

2014 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
I can’t believe it’s taken me until Labor Day weekend to pop the new vintage of Briords, but glad I did. A beautiful wine, per usual, classic nose of seashell, chalk, talc, lemon-limes, oyster, white flowers, hints of white peppery spice underneath. Salty and crunchy with the lime and lemon fruit. Gorgeous acid but balanced by some creaminess. Notes of chalk, clamshells, talc and limestone make this a complex, mineral-laden wine that begs for all sorts of shellfish. Glad I have some more to cellar. Will check back in two or three years because I love how these age. (92 points)