Domaine de la Pepiere 'La Pepie' Cot VdP 2023

Press 4 Mix/Red • August 2024 Direct Press Selection

Domaine de la Pépière has long been one of our favorite estates of the Muscadet, a region nestled along the banks of the Loire River where it empties into the Atlantic. The domaine was founded by pioneering winemaker Marc Ollivier, who dedicated himself to changing the reputation of Muscadet from one of mass-produced white wines to one that reflects the region’s highly diverse terroirs and micro-climats.

Since Marc’s retirement in 2020, the estate has been run by Rémi Branger and Gwénaëlle Croix, whom Ollivier credits for his conversion to organic, and then to biodynamic, agriculture. While the domaine is mostly planted to the region’s signature white grape, Melon de Bourgogne, Branger and Croix also cultivate three hectares of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec (known locally as Côt).

‘La Pépiè’ is one of those rarer red wines, made from 100% Côt grown in granite soils with a bit of clay. Only free-run juice is used, and the grapes go through a four-day cold fermentation before being macerated for a week on their skins.

The resulting wine has a vibrant, energetic nose with aromas of blackberries, black cherries and black currants, along with an alluring whiff of white pepper. On the palate, silky tannins meld with the wine’s earthier side, bringing structure and notes of wet horse and damp earth. Medium-rare burgers or steak are a quintessential pairing, but I also think this wine would match beautifully with mushroom risotto and meatier fishes — seared swordfish or bluefin tuna come to mind.  Kate Masters