Although it’s not often noted, there’s an odd confluence between wine lovers and audiophiles. (Somehow, I find the term oenophile unbearably pretentious yet audiophile sounds all right.) Put another way, a lot of wine geeks are also stereo geeks.

Just why is worthy of a nice little college thesis. Famous wine critic Robert Parker reports that he was into stereo stuff in his early maturity as a charter subscriber to one of the geekiest, small-circulation audiophile magazines. And the former editor of Stereophile magazine, Larry Archibald, is a big wine buff. I myself have a weakness for “high-rez” equipment.

What’s the common denominator? Probably it’s an appetite for what Henry James called “the wear and tear of discrimination.” Both wine lovers and audiophiles are into differences. The very process is its own joy. And the rewards, it must be said, can be very gratifying.

For more normal sorts, the trick is to have wine lovers and audiophiles as friends. That cuts down considerably on the Jamesian wear and tear, but with no lack of benefits. You can get a steady stream of wine advice without having to be a nutter yourself. Ditto for stereo stuff.

There is one downside: Crazies never recommend anything even vaguely familiar. The rule of thumb – this is especially true for stereo equipment and estate-bottled Burgundies – is that if you’ve heard of it, it isn’t any good.

The wines recommended this week are magnificently obscure. These wines, if I may say so, are better – far better – than their price or discreet distribution would suggest. And when your guests ask you how you found such a wonderful wine, you can say, “I have this crazy friend …” I’d consider it an honor.

HERE ‘S THE DEAL

MUSCADET “CLOS DES BRIORDS” VIEILLES VIGNES 2004, DOMAINE DE LA PEPIERE

To the extent that a “cult Muscadet” exists, this wine is probably it. Muscadet fans such as myself make a point of buying Clos des Briords, as it’s called in wine shorthand, with obsessive regularity. The reason is simple: It’s extraordinary.

The skinny on Clos des Briords is that it’s a tiny 3.7-acre vineyard endowed with 75-year vines, a rarity in the Muscadet district of France’s Loire Valley. Because these vines are so old, they’re also a jumble of ancient strains of melon de Bourgogne – the grape of Muscadet – rather than today’s handful of modern, selected strains or clones.

The result is a Muscadet of uncommon depth and distinction capable of rewarding years of cellaring, should you be so inclined. The 2004 vintage is what Muscadet lovers call “classic,” which is to say crisp yet buffered by solid, substantial fruit – at least by Muscadet standards. (Nobody has ever called Muscadet a fruit bomb.) This is a wine destined for shellfish of all sorts, as well as cheeses such as chevre.

The price is insanely cheap for the quality: $10.95 a bottle. As for availability, a good source for this wine and many other high-rez Loire wines is Chambers Street Wines (www.chambersstwines.com).

SAVENNIERES “CLOS DU PAPILLON” 2001, DOMAINE DES BAUMARD

This is another Loire specialty that probably should have a warning label that reads: “This is not a stand-alone white. For best results serve only with food.”

Savennieres is an ancient district in the Loire Valley, of monastic heritage, dedicated to growing chenin blanc. Nowhere, with the possible exception of the best Vouvray wines, does chenin blanc deliver such compelling wine.

Clos du Papillon is a single-vineyard bottling from is one of the most distinguished sites in Savennieres. Its fame is enhanced by its being owned by only two producers, both terrific: Domaine des Baumard and Domaine du Closel. (The vineyard gets its name because it is butterfly-shaped.)

This is a compelling, layered dry white wine that fairly begs for the freshest possible fish. Its subtle but unmistakable flavors include such descriptors as straw, herbs, ripe lemons, minerals, and a distinct touch of lime. It’s captivatingly austere, like Catherine Deneuve. A worthy wine at its regular price of $28; look for a street price as low as $21.95.Then it’s a flat-out bargain for this kind of distinction and quality. A good source is Zachy’s (www.zachys.com).

TERRE DI PIETRA 2001, LUNELLI

An Italian red that’s popped up in this space before, Terre di Pietra is one of those obscure jewels, a high-rez Italian red. It’s a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot, with a balance of 25% each of the rare red grapes teroldego and lagrein. Usually such blends – which typically speak more of winemaking than of site distinction – leave me cold, but Terre di Pietra is a magnificent exception.

Nevertheless, when the 2001 was first released, I chose not to recommend it. The wine was too inaccessible. While clearly dense and concentrated, it initially lacked the lagrein-derived mineral top note found in previous vintages. But now it’s coming around.

Terre di Pietra 2001 is still a formidable red that will surely reward additional aging. But its underlying character – the fruity succulence of the merlot and teroldego along with the minerality of the lagrein – is finally emerging. And there’s clearly plenty more to come.

There’s not much left of the 2001 Terre di Pietra, but the distributor still has a supply. Get it while you can. It’s very much worth pursuing as Terre di Pietra is a truly great – if still largely unknown – Italian red. It’s a steal at $16.95 a bottle. Have your local retailer grab some for you (the wholesale distributor is Lauber Imports).