Intro to Domaine de la Combe Muscadet – Domaine de la Combe Muscadet de Sevre et Maine sur lie from the Loire is a delightful Muscadet with crisp fruity notes with lime on the nose and pear and apple on the palate. Full tasting note and wine making – Domaine de la Combe Muscadet de Sevre et Maine sur lie from the Loire is one of the stars of Muscadet and produces wines with a crisp, flinty notes with a hint of lemon on the nose and a palate with fresh, zesty, savoury tones with hints of green apple along with yeasty lees notes. A lovely classic Muscadet with character and flavour representative of the vintage. The vineyard lies on one of the best sites in Nantais at St Fiacre. Here the soils are layered with ‘orthogneiss’, a cracked mineral rich rock through which the vine roots weave and nourish the vine. Muscadet is made traditionally at this small estate where the grapes are hand-picked, lightly pressed to keep all the delicacies and purity of flavour and fermented at cool temperatures to preserve aromas. The wine was left on its fine lees until the following spring to add complexity and extra zest. A real star! The producer – Domaine de la Combe is based in St Fiâcre, southeast of Nantes, at the mouth of the beautiful River Loire and was established by Nelly Marzelleau’s grandfather in the 1950’s. St Fiâcre is considered one of the best sites for Muscadet Sèvre et Maine due to its soil composition, mainly granitic gneiss with loose flints. Nelly Marzelleau runs the estate and is passionate about everything from vine to bottle. Wines are made from vines close to 50 years in age – a rarity in the area as most are dug up after 40 years. Nelly qualified in vinification and winemaking top of her class and completed her first vinification in 1985, aged 18. ‘Vieilles Vignes’ is made from Nelly Marzellau’s oldest 45 year old vines – a rarity for Muscadet where most are dug up after 40 years. Drink with – Great with shellfish on ice, but would also work well with fresh white fish and roast chicken.
