2017 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Clisson

2017 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Clisson

2017 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Clisson, from Loire, France

Grape / Blend: Melon de Bourgogne   Region / Appellation: Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine  Country Hierarchy: Pays Nantais – Muscadet

Owned by: Marc Ollivier, Remi Branger and Gwenaelle Croix. Formely labeled as Granite de Clisson.

White – Green and Flinty

Domaine de la Pépière is a wine producer located in Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine in the village of Maisdon-sur-Sèvre. The estate was established in 1984 by Marc Ollivier with the goal of showcasing the grape variety Melon de Bourgogne. Domaine de la Pépière produces wines from specific site selections chosen for the age of their vines and soil types. The domaine’s vineyard composition ranges from well-draining granite, to gneiss, to gabbro – volcanic rock containing feldspar, sodium, and calcium – with vines averaging 40 years of age. The estate’s vineyards are certified organic with viticulture transitioning to biodynamic certification.

Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine is the best known of the Muscadet appellations of the Loire Valley’s Pays Nantais district, on the central western coast of France. The title covers exclusively white wines from vineyards southeast and east of the city of Nantes, around the Sèvre Nantaise river and its tributary, La Maine, at the western end of the Loire region.  Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine is made solely from Melon de Bourgogne, a grape variety brought to the western Loire from Burgundy, as the name suggests. The similarity between the name Muscadet and that of the Muscat variety is sometimes the cause of confusion. But a single taste of a crisp, dry Muscadet wine will confirm that it is definitely not made from Muscat, a notoriously aromatic (and often sweet) variety.

Melon de Bourgogne (known simply as Melon in the United States) is the white grape synonymous with the Muscadet appellation in the western Loire Valley. The variety has naturally high acidity, but often struggles to achieve good concentration of flavor. The best wines show apple and citrus flavors, with underlying mineral notes. A saltiness can sometimes identified in the wine, suggestive of the region’s maritime geography.