2020 Domaine Michel Brégeon Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Loire 750 ml

From Napa to Nice, there’s one thing every oyster bar and oceanfront seafood enclave has in common: Muscadet Sèvre et Maine. The western Loire Valley white cornered the market on perfect pairings for straight-from-the-sea delicacies decades ago, and no bottle tops those from Domaine Michel Brégeon.

Bursting with the French trifecta of mineral briskness, bright acidity, and riveting salinity, Brégeon’s beautiful 2019 Muscadet is a must-have, no matter what’s on the menu.

It’s a glistening beacon of freshness that transports us back to the streets of Paris, and the hole-in-the-wall enclave where we fell for this shimmering white. Ducking under a low awning to escape the sun, we—in true French fashion—skipped the water and immediately asked for two dozen oysters and their best recommendation for a crisp white to quench our thirst.

Cooling relief came in the form of the Brégeon’s mouthwatering, green apple- and lime-laden Muscadet Sèvre et Maine. The refreshing, mineral-driven white was just what we needed, and it left us with just one word on our tongue: "Magnifique."

It’s no surprise, considering the respect the name Michel Brégeon commands. For a half-century, this legendary vigneron’s interpretation of the cool Loire Valley climate remains the benchmark. Nearly 70-year-old vines tended by hand and grown atop ancient igneous rock yield grapes of bracing acidity. Brégeon mellows them to perfection by aging the wine sur lie, smoothing out the body to mouth-coating perfection.

The result is an irresistible wine with the brisk, saline, citrus-tinged freshness that’s made Brégeon a legend at temples of cuisine like the MICHELIN-starred Farmhouse Inn, the Marshall Store, and Chez Panisse.