Domaine de la Pépière

Why Domaine de la Pépière is Essential

Fans of playfully aromatic yet texturally compelling white wines need to know about Domaine de la Pépière. Once the property of iconic winemaker Mark Oliver (who is now retired), the estate is chugging along beautifully under the guidance of his friends and protégés Rémi Branger and Gwénaëlle Croix. During his career, Oliver helped carve out a niche for terroir-centric wines in the Muscadet Sévre et Maine AOC, showcasing the bright mineral sensations capable of this granitic countryside. Long lees aging for Melon de Bourgogne counters this sensation, lending Domaine de la Pépière's wines wonderful traction on the palate.

Branger and Croix nudged him toward organic conversion and the adoption of some biodynamic practices, and have been managing the estate since the end of 2019.

Wines to Seek Out

While Domaine de la Pépière also makes Cabernet Franc and a few other wines, on the American wine market you are most likely to find their Muscadet, which is what they are best known for.

Domaine de la Pépière "La Pépie" Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie

Light and joyous, fresh and fun. This blend of terroirs from inside and outside the Muscadet Sévre et Maine always satisfies, and it usually has me tossing my thesaurus out the window when its in my glass and a pen is in my hand. Riding a line between green apple and kiwi fruit tones with a dry, salty finish, the wine's deliciousness helps it match up to a huge variety of dishes and occasions. Having a few bottles on hand at all times isn't a bad idea.

Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Château-Thébaud

Château-Thébaud is a village, not an estate, and it lines mostly the Left Bank of the Maine River in the western part of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation. Here, the granitic base layer fosters the vines differently, forcing their roots deep underground, and mysteriously lending a sense of petrichor to the best wines on the finish.

At times, this wine can be tightly wound, requiring a little air (maybe even a gentle decant) to relax enough to find the right wavelength. But your patience will be rewarded with a wine that harmonizes Melon de Bourgogne's brilliant, grapefruit-like acidity with that glycerin, rounded texture of a lees-aged wine.

Domaine de la Pépière Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie "Clos des Briords"

This is the essential bottle of Muscadet in my book. Look no further.

Sourced from a 4.4 hectare plot of very old vines (between 50 and 70 years old), "Clos des Briords" has the disposition of an amiable little child: the aromas are playful, the conversation can be surprisingly profound, and the finish feels like a sweet snuggle at the end of the day. There is complexity and age-worthy structure if you want to search for it, but the "life is sweet" character of its brilliant tones may be enough for you. It is for me. Shining on the finish is a mineral petrichor note that is distinctly memorable from other granite-based terroir.