Domaine de la Pépière, 2017 Update
Although the range of wines in the portfolio is considerably smaller here, after Luneau-Papin there is just one other domaine where I look forward to tasting the wines just as much. And that domaine is, of course, Domaine de la Pépière. Whereas at other domaines it is often the more prestigious cuvées that tend to get my blood pumping, the likes of L d’Or from Luneau-Papin, Fief du Breil from Jo Landron or Gorges from Vincent Caillé, here it seems just about every cuvée has the ability to do that. Even the domaine’s entry-level Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie cuvée should not be overlooked, although the truth is when buying for my own drinking (and I do buy and drink these wines) the striking quality of the Clos des Briords cuvée means it is always worth spending up for this, especially as the difference in price comes down to nothing more than a couple of bobbins and washer or two.
At this most recent tasting the domaine and the wines remained true to form. Even though I tasted them close to the end of a long day of swirling and spitting, the purity and energy in these wines still shone out, clear for all to see.
The Wines
I tasted, not for the first time, with Rémi Branger (pictured), one of Marc Ollivier’s two associates. I looked at a half-dozen wines, two each from the three most recent vintages. Both 2016 and 2015 are richer years, and in general the warm weather imbued the wines of the Muscadet region (and other regions upriver too) with richer flavours of peach and tropical fruits, while softening the acidities. Despite this Marc and team seem to have turned out some excellent wines from these two harvests. The domaine cuvées are both admirable, although they do transmit the exuberant character of their respective vintages, the 2015 perhaps a little more than the 2016 (which I prefer).
