Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Clos des Briords Vieilles Vignes 2022
Domaine de la Pépière
Marc Ollivier built Pépière into one of Muscadet's reference estates through patient viticulture and minimal intervention. The Clos des Briords bottling, from vines averaging 70 years old on gneiss soils, is Muscadet at its most serious. At this price, it remains one of the best value propositions in all of French wine.
Nose
Sea-shell minerality and green apple dominate, with a subtle floral note and a whiff of crushed stone. Lemon zest and a faint yeasty quality from the extended lees contact round out the bouquet.
Palate
Lean and precise, with citrus pith and green apple acidity providing the backbone. The mid-palate has unexpected weight from the sur lie aging, giving a creamy mouthfeel that contrasts with the wine's mineral core. A saline, almost briny quality emerges at the edges.
Finish
Clean and long for the category, with a persistent mineral and citrus echo.
- Varietal
- Melon de Bourgogne
- Blend
- 100% Melon de Bourgogne
- Vineyards
- Clos des Briords, old vines (~70 years) on gneiss soils
- Alcohol
- 12%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
- Skin Contact
- No
Food Pairing
Raw oysters with mignonette or grilled sardines with lemon
Marc Ollivier, the quiet pioneer of Muscadet, has farmed the Clos des Briords parcel — ancient gneiss soils planted to 70-year-old Melon de Bourgogne vines — with organic methods since 1985.
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