Saina Nieminen
Saina Nieminen
The Loire situation if Finland has always been dismal. But finally we have an importer who might start to import some Marc Ollivier/Domaine de la Ppire. They kindly invited me to the tasting (and let me take home the leftovers...).
We started with the Domaine de la Ppire Muscadet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2009, the basic bottling if I understood correctly. I thought it was pretty awesome and quite what I hope to see in Muscadet (though, sadly, with so little having been available here, I don't know if my small sampling is representational, and hence I don't know if my idea of Muscadet typicality is true or not). But this had nice citrus and melon aromas; crisp, citric palate, but not in an unfriendly way - in fact it seemed to have a bit of richness to it. But despite the richness, it is focused, precise, electric and very moreish. Interminable finish of salt and citrus. Lovely.
The Domaine de la Ppire "Cuve Eden" Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2006 was richer, but certainly not the strangely fruity, malformed blob that the other '06s available here have been. A little tight and wonderfully racy, but comparatively full bodied. Despite some leesy richness, this is tangy and zingy. IIRC, this is from Gneiss (or was it Schist? I must remember to take writing materials next time I go to a "formal" tasting) soils rather than Granite as are his other wines. How do these different soils manifest themselves in the glass? Lovely.
The last wine, the Domaine de la Ppire "Clos Cormerais" Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2005, however was not really to my taste. There was an unpleasant, bitter, woody and lightly vanilla-like aroma; there was also an unpleasant, slight vanilla taste. It might be crisp and citric like I want Muscadet to be, but even though the oak notes aren't overpowering, I still feel that even slight oak seems to overpower this grape. I did not like this wine.
We started with the Domaine de la Ppire Muscadet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2009, the basic bottling if I understood correctly. I thought it was pretty awesome and quite what I hope to see in Muscadet (though, sadly, with so little having been available here, I don't know if my small sampling is representational, and hence I don't know if my idea of Muscadet typicality is true or not). But this had nice citrus and melon aromas; crisp, citric palate, but not in an unfriendly way - in fact it seemed to have a bit of richness to it. But despite the richness, it is focused, precise, electric and very moreish. Interminable finish of salt and citrus. Lovely.
The Domaine de la Ppire "Cuve Eden" Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2006 was richer, but certainly not the strangely fruity, malformed blob that the other '06s available here have been. A little tight and wonderfully racy, but comparatively full bodied. Despite some leesy richness, this is tangy and zingy. IIRC, this is from Gneiss (or was it Schist? I must remember to take writing materials next time I go to a "formal" tasting) soils rather than Granite as are his other wines. How do these different soils manifest themselves in the glass? Lovely.
The last wine, the Domaine de la Ppire "Clos Cormerais" Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Severe-and-Mean Sur Lie 2005, however was not really to my taste. There was an unpleasant, bitter, woody and lightly vanilla-like aroma; there was also an unpleasant, slight vanilla taste. It might be crisp and citric like I want Muscadet to be, but even though the oak notes aren't overpowering, I still feel that even slight oak seems to overpower this grape. I did not like this wine.
