Another gorgeous cool summer night, and Betsy had me grill a mess of clams and mussels. While I was setting them on grill I sipped a bit of remaining '96 Baumard Savennieres, which showed richer than previous night, though with some light oxidation.
As the shellfish came off the grill we carefully placed in a big bowl, Betsy then drizzled with a garlic/parsley/sesame butter. Served alongside some green beans and Crenshaw melon, with lots of bread to sop the juice/sauce. I thought that maybe the leftover '04 Oncone Falanghina would be a good choice considering the sauce, but a little bit of oxidation and the inherent Falanghina nutty/bitter note seemed to clash. A much better match was the 2004 Luneau-Papin "Domaine Pierre de La Grange" Vieilles Vignes Muscadet. Lighter-styled Muscadet, with a fresh seabreeze nose and a pleasantly crisp citrus bite. I enjoy this more than a previous bottle - it's different than the Pepiere I love, but close to equal in quality. There's a seashell/calcium quality to the finish, very nice with the food (I thought the butter/garlic might be too much, but fine actually). B++
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.