Clos des Briords is located on the hillsides of the river Maine, a tributary of the Loire. The site totals 4.40 hectares and the vines were planted between 1950 and 1989, with the vast majority between 50 and 70 years old. These are the oldest vines of the estate and planted on soils of "granite de Thébaud"
In 2016, Pépière's classic, earliest-release bottling saw an addition to the label, the "La Pépie" moniker, because of the necessity of adding non-estate fruit to the production (Pépière had 85% of their own crop devastated in 2016 due to mildew). It marks the first time the estate has purchased fruit.
It comes from neighboring parcels that match their terroirs and work philosophy. The wine is a combination of said purchased fruit and estate fruit, 50% of which comes from vineyards that could technically produce cru bottlings.
-Importer notes (Dressner)
100% Melon de Bourgogne. Classic Muscadet on granite. The core of the "La Pépie" Sur Lie bottling is the 10-hectare heart of the Pépière estate, which is part of the Clisson cru in the tiny commune of Pépière near the winery; there is also a portion of purchased fruit from a nearby organic farmer friend in the mix. Pépière's farming is certified-biodynamic and the harvest by hand. The bunches are direct-pressed and the juice settled for 12 hours. It is fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts; the wine is aged on its lees for 6-8 months in large, underground, glass-lined cement tanks. It is bottled without filtration.
-Importer notes
The 2019 Château-Thébaud from Domaine de la Pépière (matured 42 months in tanks) is finesse and elegance incarnate. Revealing aromas of lemon, spring flowers, menthol and pear, it’s chiseled and taut, perfectly balanced and moderately weighted. The finish...