Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine is a windy, frigid and severe appellation that sits perched on France’s west coast right where the cold waters of the Loire river empty into the even colder Atlantic ocean. Here, Marc Ollivier (one of the most jovial, Santa Claus-like figures in all of wine) and his young partner, Rémi Branger, farm a collection of small vineyards planted to the grape Melon de Bourgogne. Each distinct parcel of grapes is divided by soil type, most often into distinct sub-categories of granite. Today’s wine hails from Clisson, an area in the southern part of the Muscadet appellation with mainly granite soils along with sand and small stones. The vines here are as old as 110 years old in some areas. After the grapes are hand harvested the grapes are pressed then fermented at cool temperatures before being transferred to neutral oak where the wine will be aged for 24 months in neutral barrels with the lees being stirred often to bring texture and aromatics into the final wine. The result is a wine of unparalleled balance, texture, minerality and granite soil character. Those unsure of the definition of the word “terroir” need look no further - it’s like drinking a glass of liquified stone.

In the glass, the 2012 Clisson is a beautiful light golden yellow with green highlights on the rim. The nose is about as aromatic of an example of Muscadet you can find. The nose is driven by notes of yellow apple core, citrus pith, lemon peel, oyster shells, lees, crushed stone and pure granite. This is an unbelievably terroir-driven wine whose mouth-watering acidity and naturally thirst quenching characteristics make it incredibly versatile with food. Classic with all great Muscadet is oysters, simply shucked then eaten, one of the greatest pairing on earth by themselves (please dont touch the hot sauce). I want to underscore that this is as noble an expression of terroir as any great Chablis or Sancerre, and it should not be relegated to the lowly standing of a mere first course white. Pépière bottles dynamic wines with surprising and diverse value on the table. This vintage’s precise combination of acidity and richness makes it an ideal companion for sashimi and cutting through richer meat and cream-based dishes. Due to it’s quite moderate alcohol content it’s also a formidable partner to numerous Asian dishes. No matter the cuisine, please serve at 50 degrees in a large Bordeaux stem.