While it's extraneous to the wine's quality or character, I can't help but mention that the doubly-named Luneau-Papin 2008 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Terre de Pierre - Butte de la Roche comes in an especially strikingly-labeled example of the ostentatiously heavy, fleur de lie-embossed bottles that many Muscadet growers are using for their special bottlings. Fortunately, the weight of the bottle is no reflection on its elegant, minerally-refined, 12% alcohol contents, but to make sure you get the mineral part, the label depicts a close-up of the volcanic, quartzite-rich Butte's rock, with superimposed, bronze, embossed initials of the relevant chemical elements. Young Pierre-Marie Luneau-Papin is in charge of restoring the soils of this site, but from the taste of things, the makings of greatness are already present, despite the former owner's reputed mistreatment! Saline, alkaline, seaweed-like notes rise from the glass. Salt, wet stone and alkaline notes suffuse what seems like matrix of lemon juice and chicken stock familiar from Chablis. Hints of lemon pip, caraway, and white pepper add sizzle to a long finish. I would not be surprised to witness this striking inaugural bottling justifying 5-7 years of employment. No Muscadet estate is rendering consistently finer or more intriguing wines than Luneau-Papin, and given the prices asked there is no excuse for any lover of wine not making their acquaintance. (Incidentally, I have not yet tasted Luneau-Papin's L d'Or bottlings from 2008 - which is current - nor the 2009, which will not be released before next year; so this report is unfortunately missing two almost certain stars that no reader with any curiosity whatsoever about Muscadet or about the world's greatest wine values should miss.)Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334 8191
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