For white wines, it doesn’t get much drier than Muscadet. Grown near the mouth of the Loire River, Muscadet is at once brisk and hearty — the essence of the windswept Atlantic coast. When the weather turns hot we can’t think of much else in our glasses.
It’s also affordable and abundant. Wine writer Lettie Teague calls it “one of the world’s best, if most obscure, bargains,” saying “a glass of $8 Muscadet will always be a better wine than an $8 glass of something else.” And one of our everyday favorites is the Cuvée Deux Roches from Martin-Luneau.
And because you’ll be serving it in a backyard instead of a bistro, your glass won’t even break $4.
The Muscadet region’s new “cru communal” appellations require aging 24-30 months on lees, and Martin-Luneau farms grapes in both Gorges and Clisson. Today’s wine “Deux Roches” comes from a blend of both appellations (hence “two rocks”) — the blend bears neither name, but the wine’s quality speaks for itself.
Their 2015 Deux Roches cuvée is bright and crisp, with lime rind and melon in the nose, and zippy, refreshing acidity in the mouth. There’s an intense dryness and liveliness that’s the perfect antidote to a muggy summer evening.
Pair this with anything from the sea, most perfectly, oysters. But all it really requires is a few hours in a good fridge and a couple glasses.
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Martin-Luneau Muscadet “Deux Roches” 2015
bottle price: $18
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