Bossard “Domaine de l’Ecu” 2005 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Expression d’Orthogneiss” (Loire) – Sometimes Muscadet is worth holding, sometimes it isn’t. This was the latter. Now, it’s weak and trembling minerality, eroded and barely noticeable, with almost nothing surrounding it. Oh well. (6/12)

Bossard “Domaine de l’Ecu” 2003 Muscadet Sèvre & Maine “Sur Lie” “Expression de Gneiss” (Loire) – Thick for a Muscadet (no real surprise there), but in that thickness is a powerful, insistent minerality that has also been concentrated beyond Muscadet’s wont. Dry, then sweet, then dry again…likely, in all cases, a mere illusion of density. One could do a lot worse from mostly-oppressive French 2003s than this bottle. (9/10)