Domaine de la Pépière : Clisson 2023

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of the Clisson 2023 from Domaine de la Pépière

Tasting

Appearance
The wine reveals a bright pale yellow colour.

Nose
The nose opens on aromas of cooked fruits and ripe citrus, accompanied by notes of honey and quince. With aeration, the bouquet reveals a mineral and slightly smoky dimension, enriched with brioche nuances that bear witness to the extended ageing on lees.

Palate
Rich on the palate, this wine unfolds a creamy and silky texture while retaining a beautiful mineral tension. The palate expresses aromas of melon, green apple and white fruits, enhanced by a characteristic iodised salinity. The persistent and fresh finish lingers on citrus notes and a savoury minerality.

Food and wine pairings

This Clisson 2023 is the ideal companion to seafood, particularly scallops, oysters and smoked salmon. It also pairs beautifully with pan-seared foie gras, fish in beurre blanc sauce or aged goat cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

This Clisson 2023 should be served at a temperature between 8 and 10°C. It can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve until around 2032.

A Muscadet Sèvre et Maine of rare mineral complexity

The estate

Founded in 1984 by Marc Ollivier, Domaine de la Pépière today extends over 42 hectares in the Maine valley, in Loire-Atlantique. Since 2020, Rémi Branger and Gwénaëlle Croix have been running this pioneering Muscadet estate, certified organic since 2007 and biodynamic since 2018. The domaine stands out for its non-interventionist approach, exclusively manual harvesting and the use of massal rather than clonal selections, producing age-worthy wines that have helped redefine the reputation of the appellation.

The vineyard

The Clisson comes from plots located in the eponymous cru, in the southern part of the Armorican Massif. The terroir lies on a fissured and permeable granite bedrock, covered with gravel and clay combined with rolled pebbles. These highly draining soils encourage deep rooting of the vines and the absorption of mineral elements that give this Muscadet Sèvre et Maine its distinctive character. The melon de bourgogne vines benefit from a temperate oceanic climate and rigorous biodynamic management, without herbicides, with manual soil work and the application of plant-based preparations.

The vintage

The 2023 vintage in the Loire valley benefited from moderate climatic conditions, with balanced temperatures and adequate water availability. These conditions allowed optimal ripening of the grapes, promoting both aromatic concentration and the preservation of freshness, without excessive heat stress.

Vinification and ageing

The grapes for the Clisson 2023 are hand-harvested and then gently pressed within two hours of picking. After a twelve-hour settling, the must ferments spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts, at a controlled temperature not exceeding 22°C, in underground glass-lined vats. The wine then rests on fine lees for a minimum of twenty-four months, with regular bâtonnage determined by tasting. No enzymes are added and filtration remains minimal, thus preserving the aromatic complexity and natural texture of the wine.

Grape variety

100% melon de bourgogne.