{"product_id":"domaine-de-la-pepiere-clisson-2023","title":"Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Clisson 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClisson is one of ten Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine crus communaux, a roughly 49-acre pocket of vineyard sitting on a granite fault line near Maisdon-sur-Sevre. The bedrock here, granite laced with quartz and mica, is different from the gneiss and schist that dominate most of Muscadet, and it shows in the wine's structure. Domaine de la Pepiere's Clisson parcel holds vines between 50 and 100 years old, some of the oldest Melon de Bourgogne in the appellation. Yields in Clisson are capped at 45 hectoliters per hectare, about a third below the standard Muscadet limit, which forces real concentration out of a grape too often treated as an afterthought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Melon de Bourgogne, aged a minimum of 24 months on its fine lees before release, well beyond the six months required for basic Muscadet. That extended lees aging builds texture and a faint creaminess without masking the granite-driven minerality underneath. The 2023 growing season in the Pays Nantais started with a big potential crop, held steady acidity through a warm, healthy ripening, and became one of the more successful vintages in the Loire that year. The result is dense and structured for Muscadet: citrus pith, saline minerality, a touch of white flower, and real textural weight, built to be taken seriously rather than treated as a simple seafood wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarc Ollivier founded Domaine de la Pepiere in 1984 with seven hectares near Maisdon-sur-Sevre and farmed organically from the start, at a time when almost nobody in Muscadet did. Over three decades he built the estate to 42 hectares, buying parcels for terroir rather than convenience, eventually holding land in four of Muscadet's crus communaux: Clisson, Chateau-Thebaud, Monnieres-Saint Fiacre, and Gorges. He began bottling this Clisson cuvee in 2005 from a stand of 50-to-100-year-old vines, originally labeling it Granite de Clisson before renaming it to match the new INAO cru designation. After severe weather losses in 2016, Ollivier formalized a partnership with Remi Branger and Gwenaelle Croix, two former proteges who now run day-to-day operations and winemaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Clisson has the structure to go well beyond raw oysters. Try it with grilled langoustines, a whole roasted branzino, a rich seafood stew with saffron, or a chicken and cream sauce dish, the kind of food that would flatten a lighter Muscadet. Its lees-driven texture and mineral spine can also handle aged Comte or a triple-cream cheese. Give it a few years in the cellar if you can; this is one Muscadet built to reward patience.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50514300436703,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P7040612_28e08843-08d5-40ed-aaf3-2d918d44924b.jpg?v=1783392692","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/domaine-de-la-pepiere-clisson-2023","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}