2022 Domaine de la Pepiere ‘La Pepie’ Muscadet, Loire, FR

Producer: Marc Olivier known as ‘Master of Muscadet’ created Domaine de la Pépière in 1984, it quickly became a leading estate in Muscadet. Remi Branger & Gwenaelle Croix are the current owner-operators of the estate. Remi started working for Marc & became a partner in 2011 converting the estate to organic viticulture. After working at the estate for a year, Gwen became a partner in 2014 converting to biodynamic viticulture & Marc Olivier retired in 2019 to fish & enjoy seafood in Brittany.

Place: Located in the village of Maisdon sur Sèvre, Muscadet, Loire Valley, Central France. La Pépière comes from the old French word ‘Pepie’ meaning thirst.

Farming: Organic & Biodynamic Viticulture

Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne

Soil: Granite & granodiorite from Clisson & Château-Thébaud & gneiss for the vines further away from the river, which are sourced from nearby organic farmers.

Volcanic Origins:  3 springs flow from an aquifer under Gerbier de Jonc, a volcanic mountain in the Massif Central, the springs form the Loire river. Gneiss : a metamorphic rock, can be formed by the flow of partially crystallized magma. Granite & Granodiorite: Igneous rock, formed from the cooling of molten minerals, specifically plutonic rocks, distinct from volcanic rocks forms when molten rocks cools after having escaped the earth’s surface as lava.

Winemaking: Handpicked  grapes are not crushed but pressed using gravity, fermented with natural yeast in stainless steel tanks, the wine ages on its lees for 6-8 months in large underground, glass-lined cement tanks, bottled unfiltered.

Tasting Notes: Precise – Briney Citrus – Stoney Minerals