Nothing is more fun than having dinner with a small group of people and bringing some wines. Especially when you bust out a magnum of Pepiere Muscadet. What is more fun and festive than a magnum. Especially a kick-ass, old vine Muscadet that retails for under 30 bucks? Truly, this is one of the great wine bargains in the history of the world. Here is a blurb about the wine from Louis Dressner’s website:

Ollivier also produces a very-old-vine cuvée of Muscadet from a single-plot vineyard in schist, the Clos des Briords. These are among the oldest vines in his estate (they were planted in 1930) and they enjoy a particularly good exposition. Also, when most of his estate’s vines are planted on poor, shallow soil with hard granite very close to the surface, the Clos des Briords has a much deeper top soil of clay and silica over a brittle granite subsoil: this ensures excellent drainage in wet years, and better moisture retention in dry summers. Ripening is slower, and the longer hang-time before harvest allows for optimal maturity to be reached.

I had the 2005 with me. It was stunning with oysters, just stunning. I tucked a few away in my cellar. I’m sure these can age but they sure are fun to drink now.

I also had with me a 1999 Fontalloro from Felsina. Unbelieveable. Especially considering how disappointed I was with a 2001; it was closed and had no fruit. The 1999 (100% Sangiovese from Tuscany) was (again) stunning. Incredible nose, concentration, richness, purity, complexity, and a looooooong finish. One of the finest reds I have drank in a long time; as close to perfection as any red I can recall drinking. And it’s not crazy expensive; you should be able to get it for under 50 bucks. Still has gobs of time left, but decant and enjoy now.

A wonderful evening with friends, food, and wine. Hooray!