2023 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

WINEMAKER: Rémi Branger & Gwénaëlle Croix
REGION: Loire Valley, FR
VARIETY: Melon de Bourgogne
VITICULTURE: Organic

"Very fresh always, with expressive white pear fruit. The palate is both tight and supple, although the feeling is very direct and refreshing. Fine acid underpins the wine - it's lightly stony core with a fine cushion of elegant fruit and lovely lingering minerality. A wine to drink over the next 3 to 5 years, it has a more herbal and floral bouquet than the pure granite-based wines, this 2022 is another beautiful wine showing pretty herbal, citrus, and white fruit aromas. This is a great value Muscadet!" - Andrew Guard

Domaine de la Pépière in Maisdon sur Sèvre in the Muscadet, is one of the greatest estates of the Loire Valley. The reputation comes from the vibrancy and density of the wines which reflect their terroir, mostly decomposed Granite, Gabbro and Gniess. There are 28 hectares of vines; about 8 hectares lie on the granite of Clisson in the more southerly part of the appellation, another 12 hectares further north, on the granite of Château Thébaud; both of which contain veins of metamorphic gneiss with amphibolite stones. Recently there is also wine from the commune of Gorges which will complement their range of Muscadet Cru Communal beautifully. Domaine de la Pépière is a standout in the region for several reasons. Access to old vines - the vines are old, some over 70 years and all are planted 'selection massale'. Selection massale is an ancient and laborious method of replanting by taking the cuttings from the old and best vines. It takes about four years to produce a quarter of the number of vines of the initial cuttings.