Liebfraumilch and Muscadet: Review of Two Unusual White Wines

Liebfraumilch and Muscadet are not the type of grape names that roll off your tongue. And unlike chardonnay or pinot grigio, they are also not that common at your local restaurant. Still, some interesting and affordable wines are made from Liebfraumilch and Muscadet, which hail primarily from Italy and France respectively. Let's check out a couple of these wines!

Review: The Weber Liebfraumilch is a sweet white wine from the well-known Rheinhessen area of Germany. We're trying this one cool, quite young in the bottle. Alcohol is a light 9.5%.

In the glass, this is very transparent, watery-color with a vanilla blush. Aroma is sweet green grass and new hay - quite appealing, really. On the palate, it brings a simple, clean taste in the middle, resembling precisely the aromas. Finish fades in a flash, but ends clean. It is very pleasant, but just a tad too light to draw me back for another bottle. Almost diluted. So two stars with a plus for its exceptional accessibility and friendliness.

Find Weber Liebfraumilch at WineZap.

Review: The Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee Harmonie - as its name implies - is made "sur lie"; that is, resting on its spent yeast cells and regularly stirred. This tends to add a body and creaminess to white wines.

Also, don't confuse the "muscadet" wine with the "muscat" grape. The former - muscadet wine - is a grape typically originating from the Loire valley of France, made into dry white wine. It is actually made of the melon de bourgogne grape. The name itself relates to the word "musky", considered to be an element of the wine's character.

The Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee Harmonie, 2007, shows in the glass as a light, creamy vanilla color. Served cool, upon swirling, the Harmonie shows a modest nose of crisp pear and apple, with a touch of wet slate and grass. On the palate, a fuller mid-palate is the first thing you notice, bringing a touch of funk with the riper apple elements. There is a crispness, a light acidity with the corresponding cheek-puckering, some roundness. What I do not find is a furthering of the slate element that was present on the nose. That was a bit of disappointment.

I don't think I would find my way back to this white; I do believe better, more intriguing values are to be had at the price. Nonetheless, I'll add a plus to its two stars because of its good balance of elements.

Wine Advocate awarded 90 points, saying, "The 2007 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee Harmonie is scented with pear, quince, and lime - almost as if a bit of Chenin had been blended in. With real depth of nut oil richness, orchard fruit, and saline, savory minerality, this polished Muscadet generously saturates the palate, clings, and at the same time refreshes. Enjoy it anytime over the next two years."

Fine Delhommeau Muscadet at WineZap.