Producer: Domaine de la Pepiere 
Region: Muscadet, Loire, France  
Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne 
Year: 2020 

John Gilman, 90 Points 

"Domaine de la Pépière The 2020 Muscadet “la Pépie” from Domaine de la Pépière is the first vintage where Marc Ollivier is officially retired and has left the estate in the hands of the next generation of proprietors, Rémi Branger and Gwénaëlle Croix. Of course, this transition has been long in the making, as Rémi started working with Marc in 2006 and became a partner in 2011 and Gwen started here in 2011 and became a partner in 2014, so things have long been in place in anticipation for this day. The la Pépie bottling is made from all of the estate’s production that does not go into one of its cru bottlings, augmented by a bit of judiciously purchased fruit from neighbors who farm “seriously”. The 2020 version is a fine bottle, offering up a bright and wide open bouquet of breadfruit, wet stone minerality, a nice touch of ocean breeze salinity and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is bright, fullish and complex, with a good core, lovely mineral drive, sound acids and a long, gently leesy and nicely balanced finish. Good juice. 2021-2035. " 

Winemaker Notes: 

"Merci is named in gratitude to vigneron friends of Pépière who supplied finished 2020 wines for this special, one-off bottling that is helping to cover Pépière's 95% crop loss in the 2021 vintage. The wines come from sites similar to Pépière's, featuring variations on granite, gneiss and gabbro and from vines in transition to organic farming."  

Alcohol: 12% 

Organically farmed 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.