Domaine Claude Branger, Muscadet Sèvre et Marne (Loire Valley, France) 2016

 Beautifully crisp and dry, with fetching hints of green apple and marine minerality, this wine offers a uniquely refined expression of the Gros Melon grape.  The vineyards are farmed without the use of chemical fertilizers, and the grapes were hand harvested.  The wine sits on its lees until bottling, which is part of the reason it tastes so fresh and vibrant.  It’s an excellent wine to pair with just about any kind of seafood — I had it most recently with fresh oysters, which was a sublime pairing indeed.