Sauvion, Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie (Loire Valley, France) Château du Cléray 2010

($15, W J Deutsch):  Sur lie means the wine has been kept on the lees (dead yeast), which act as an anti-oxidant keeping the wine fresh and lively, until bottling.  That may explain why the 2010 Château du Cléray is even snappier at this stage than the 2009 (previously reviewed).  A bracing flintiness complements the lemony tang and lends real substance.  If more Muscadet had this kind of character, the whole category would have a better reputation. 90 Michael Apstein Sep 6, 2011