http://wine-journal.com/muscadet_2003_report.html
Muscadet 2003: A Brief Look - 20th October 2004 
Muscadet 2003 Vintage
C'mon everybody - "Muscadet, oh we love Muscadet." Hey, why is nobody joining in the chorus? What's with the deafening silence? This is supposed to be a united celebration of one of the stalwarts of the Loire Valley, not a solo recital to an ampty auditorium. Everyone must have left and gone to that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc revue down the road.
The trouble with Muscadet and the bane of any marketing agents life, is that the name has a viral infection called "naff". Consumers associate the name with their fuddy-duddy parents when they took a break from slugging sugary Liebfraumilch, it has the kudos of Peter André, the excitement of "Last of the Summer Wine" repeat. Despite the valiant efforts of the region's publicity department and an intelligent campaign to change consumers' preconceived notions on the wine, sales of Muscadet have dwindled: a 12% fall in 2001/02 and a further 27% in 2002/03. If that was not bad enough, the waning popularity is against a backdrop of bankruptcy and the controlling authority, the CIVN, imposing capped production and a reduction of around 2,000 hectares of vine.
Personally, I love Muscadet or more accurately Muscadet-sur-Lie. Wine is made to accompany your food and Muscadet excels in this respect. Sure, sampling a dozen Muscadets on a chilly Tuesday morning is not the most exciting tasting I will attend this year. But marry a fine Muscadet with some fresh seafood and you will not be disappointed. Not all wines are brash; boasting about their amount of new oak or depth of concentration: some wines remain neutral, they stay in the background and quietly go about complementing the food. Their virtues remain almost unnoticable, save for a subconscious feeling of satisfaction after the meal has finished. Moreover, for poverty-stricken wine-writers like me, Muscadet is a blessing at the cheaper end of restaurant lists. Even my mum likes it.
Before I describe the wines from the tasting, a little background information.

As usual, it was those ecclesiastical monks who introduced viticulture to the region of Nantes in the far west of the Loire Valley, nearest to the Atlantic Ocean. The "Folle Blanche" variety was cultivated in the 16th century and from around 1635, the Burgundians introduced the "Melon" varietal that was suited to the granite based soil. The name soon changed to its present moniker: Muscadet. Since it was prone to oxidation, vintners allowed the wines to rest on the yeast sediment, or the "lie" and bottle the wine directly from barrel without racking the following Spring (hence "Muscadet-sur-Lie".) The appellation is one of the oldest in France, established in 1937 and in 1998 they introduced a quality control charter, with its members sporting a recognisable logo on the bottle. Currently 60% of producers have signed up. 
The 2003 vintage witnessed a see-sawing of temperatures, a warm March followed by plummeting temperatures in April, a cool end to June, then severe gales and a baking hot August. Whilst initial reports heralded a precocious vintage to follow the 2002, I wondered whether the vignerons had coped with the pendulum swings in weather as well as the usual hypebole suggested?
In fact, I found these Muscadet wines to be quite variable in quality: the probably being that some growers had picked prematurely in order to preserve the acidity after the hot weather. The low acidity wines were rendered lifeless and moribund, compared to the riper, more vigorous fruit-driven examples from Boullaut Frères or the lovely "Dames de la Vallée" from Remy Pannier. Other tended to cope less well with the capricious growing season: tending to lack acidity or any semblance of character.
So after praising the virtues of Muscadet, I err on the side of caution for the 2003 vintage, for whilst their are some great wines on offer at ridiculously afforable prices, the winew were not as consistent as I would have liked, but a more comprehensive tasting encompassing the best growers such as Domaine de L'Ecu should turn up a few gems. I would recommend contacting the producers listed below for information on where to acquire these wines. The fact that numerous stands had "Seeking UK Agent" reflects the state of affairs for the region at the moment, but rest assured that I will be bringing to attention the good producers who are worth seeking out, because they are out there.
Marking system: a 15-point scale from an undrinkable 10 to a perfect 25...
10-12 - very poor
12-15 - below average but palatable
16-18 - good but not exceptional
19-21 - very fine/excellent
21-22 - exceptionally fine
23-24 - brilliant/truly a memorable experience
25 - utter perfection

Wine	Producer/
Distributor	Vintage	Rating	Note	
Muscadet-sur-Lie - Le Soleil Nantais 	Guilbaut Freres 	2003 	18 	A pleasnet nose of lemon and gooseberry with a touch of white flowers. The palate is less floral, more stony on the palate. Lacks a little vigour on the chalky finish. An interesting Muscadet - lots going on here. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie - Chateau des Rongères 	Lacheteau 	2003 	15 	The nose is quite bland and lifeless. The palate shows some dilution with bitter citrus fruit. Short length. Very average. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie - Millénaire Goulaine 	Vinival 	2003 	14 	A nettly, grassy nose. The palate displays low acidity a little flabby and lacking definition. Dull. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie - Chateau la Tarcière - La Levraudière 	Charles Sydney 	2003 	16 	A fresh grassy, apply nose with good definition. The palate is quite simple with limes and nettles. A little short and pinched on the finish. Average. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie - Chateau la Tarcière 	Charles Sydney 	2003 	18 	More sophisticated on the nose than the La Lavraudiere. Good intensity: hedgrow and apple. Fine concentration on the palate, quite minerally, then becoming more steely. Touch of gooseberry on the finish. Fine. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie "Dames de la Vallée" 	Rémy Pannier 	2003 	19 	An attractive floral nose - smells of lilies. Quite creamy. Good poise on the palate: nettle and apple. Fine focus with a green fruity, quite racy finish. Very fine. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie "Domaine de la Petite Giraudière" 	Rémy Pannier 	2003 	17 	Quite green and vegetal on the nose. Pear with a little gooseberry. Quite simple. Sharp acidity on the palate, high acidity, lacks a little harmony. Would be O.K. with food. 	
Muscadet - "Leconte" 	Boullault Freres 	2003 	15 	Very simple primal, grapey nose. The palate seems very commercial with touches of ripe melon. Plain and ordinary. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie "Chateau la Touche" 	Boullault Freres 	2003 	19 	This has a fine nose: quite fresh and minerally with good definition. The palate lacks a little intensity in comparison: stony, but crisp and neutral in style. Would be lovely with some mussels. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie "Domaine des Dorices" 	Boullault Freres 	2002 	19 	Quite upfront on the nose: apple, kiwi fruit with a tang of apricot. The palate is quite impressive with good concentration and definition. Citrus and minerals on the slightly lean finish. Very fine. 	
Muscadet-sur-Lie "Grande Garde" 	Boullault Freres 	2000 	17 	The nose is very muted with aromas of grapefruit. The palate is minerally, slightly oxidised in style. Lacks a little freshness and vigor. I prefer the fresher, recent vintages. Drink now. 	
© Neal Martin 2004