Pépière 2022 Muscadet Cru "Clisson"

Beginning in 2005, Domaine de la Pépière has produced this cuvée from a small parcel of 50 to 110 year-old vines within the Pepiere vineyard. Originally called "Granite de Clisson" after the unique bedrock in the vineyard, Marc changed the name to "Clisson" to agree with the new INAO Cru Communal classification. The granite is covered with gravel and clay with large stones, ensuring good drainage and deep penetration by the roots into the fissures in the bedrock, bringing the mineral elements indispensable to this wine. Not produced in 2021 due to frost, the 2022 spent 2 years on the lees before bottling and offers a ripe, elegant full-bodied style that will drink beautifully young and will develop further over 15 to 20 years. The wine showed a pale gold color with lovely aromas of dried pear, quince, almond, lemon-confit and stone, ripe and a bit honeyed but quite fresh. The palate is quite dense, showing firm acidity and mineral flavors supporting white fruits, citrus, anise and almond, with terrific length. This is an excellent "Clisson" with attractive forward fruit for early drinking as well as adequate structure for aging - don't miss it! (A 2010 opened recently was simply sensational and still young...) David Lillie