Hanging With Harley B:
A Precise Ambassador Of Its Terroir

The other day I was out kayaking with Dad on the pond. We had such a great time! I jumped out and swam clear across the pond for the very first time. Ah, the freedom!!!

Dad kept trying to get me back in the kayak, but I wasn't having any of it. Well, except this one time. I just wanted to swim. People on the beach were so surprised a little brown dog like me could swim such a huge distance. When I arrived back on the beach it seemed like everyone was talking about it.

That's me and Dad way out there!!!

This was one of the best days of my life. Dad had a blast too. When we arrived home in the early evening he opened a bottle of wine on the deck I had never seen before so I asked him to explain it to me. We working dogs just can't stop!

Domaine La Fruitiere Gneiss de Bel Abord Muscadet Sévre & Maine 2015

This Loire Valley wonder is right up Dad's alley. He loves a good Muscadet. It's one of his favorite wines to drink in the summertime. As I understand it, here's the lowdown on this delicious white wine.

Muscadet is a dry white wine originating in the Loire Valley in France, mainly south east of Nantes near the mouth of the Loire River.

The grape used to make Muscadet is called Melon de Bourgogne. The most significant and best appellation for Muscadet by a landslide is Muscadet Sévre et Maine. Most of these wines are matured sur lie (on the lees) which packs in flavor and gives the wine a roundness and fullness. Combined with the zippy acidity typically found in this region, it's a surefire combination.

According to my parents' wine guru, Jancis Robinson, MW:

"At its best it [Muscadet] captures the essence of France's north Atlantic coast and provides an authentic, light, tangy, almost salty foil for its seafood."

Sounds sort of like Cape Cod, doesn't it? In fact, Muscadet may be the quintessential white wine for Cape Cod's bountiful seafood harvest, not to mention oysters!

A few vintages back Robert Parker's Wine Advocate had this to say: "It is the mineral and fruity taste that makes it a precise ambassador of its terroir."

And now for the brilliant 2015 vintage.

"East-facing 45-year-old vines have produced a ripe, full style of wine. It has all the right crisp acidity plus richer apple, peach and pear fruit. A pinch of pepper and aromatic acidity finish a fine wine." (Wine Enthusiast)

Wine Enthusiast: 90 points

Wine Enthusiast: Editors' Choice

$13.99/bottle or $134.30/12 pack case ($11.19/bottle) or just $11.19/bottle in a mixed case of wine.

Location 4550 State Highway North Eastham, MA 02651 (Next to the Royal Thai Restaurant in the Town Center Plaza) Tel: 508 255 3660 Fax: 508 255 6736

Summer Hours Mon-Thurs: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri-Sat: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday: 10 to 8 p.m.   We're open year round. Closed only on Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.