WTN: Mighty nice

Or is that "righty gneiss"? The Domaine de l'Ecu 2012 Muscadet Sèvre et Main "Orthogneiss" is a fascinating mixture of (for Muscadet) rich, ripe fruit, suggestive of cantaloupe, but framed by a lot of acidity, and with a very long, grippy finish of saline and rocks. The front end and the back end of the wine pull in very different directions, but it manages to hang together under these strong forces, which is what makes it work. Has the potential to develop for several years. (Supposedly 50-year-old vines.)

[David M. Bueker]

Doesn’t Ecu do several “soil designated” bottlings?

Yes, I think so — I know there’s at least a “Granite,” and maybe others too. I’d love to have compared, but this was the only bottling on offer...