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Tasting Notes
Low to medium bodied, this Bright and Crisp wine has an attractive vein of acidity without being overpowering, displaying lemon rind, green apple, mineral, and hay, with more subtle white pepper notes on the finish.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
12%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
The minerality and tension are perfect for oysters on the half shell.
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Melon de Bourgogne
100%Me-LON duh Boor-GO-nye
Melon is almost exclusively found in the Loire Valley with the greatest and most famous greatest concentration is in the Muscadet where Melon is the sole permitted variety. The wines are crisp, citrus and with lees ageing are mineral, almost marine which make them a perfect match for shellfish. Clams on the half-shell, anyone?
Domaine de la Pépière was established in 1984 by Marc Olliveir at the edge of Brittany in the town of Maisdon-sur-Sèvre. Remi Branger joined in 2007 and helped spearhead the switch to organic farming, which currently employs some biodynamic principles as well.
Domaine de la Pépière consists of 35 hectares of old vines, starting at 40-years-old located on a plateau overlooking the river Sèvre. They hand harvest all of the grapes, use natural yeasts, and rest the wines on their lees for an extended period, all the way until bottling.
The wines of Pépière are crisp wines with a mineral, almost saline, quality that will make you wish for oysters and a seaside perch on which to enjoy it.