2017 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Les Gras Moutons - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (7/8/2019)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours –
NOSE: savory and high-toned; gooseberry, but not to be confused with Sauvignon Blanc aromatics, which are noticeably different; “light.”
BODY: light pale yellow color; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: very salty; medium+ to high acidity; seems a touch loose; light — mostly mineral; good, but not worth a re-buy: Briords, and even the basic Muscadet, are better, in my opinion. gut impression score: 86 – 88.
Brian in this context what did you mean by “loose”? When I see that word I think “flabby” but then with the strong acidity I wouldn’t think that would be it.
I’ve enjoyed the Pepiere “Les Gras Moutons” in previous vintages, but I’ve yet to try the 2017. I always found it to be solid quality for the price.
I usually don’t reach for Muscadet when craving white, but I’ve been loving the 2017 “Terre de Pierre” from Luneau-Papin. It’s probably been my most frequently recommended value white this summer. Luneau-Papin
Hi Jason,
Yes, you are right that I wouldn’t call this flabby. I called it “loose” because it doesn’t seem well-put-together; I have the sense it won’t age well – that it will fall apart. It seemed to lack a driving force or energy, and it didn’t strike me as seamless, either. You ask a good question — frustratingly, it would be easier to answer over a glass of the wine, itself. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers")
Hey Brian, that makes perfect sense. Though I agree it would definitely be more fun to discuss while we enjoyed a glass!
While I have enjoyed Les Gras Moutons over the years, I don’t rate it any higher than Briords. These days at least one parcel (the best? - certainly the oldest vines) goes into the Monnières-Saint-Fiacre cuvée instead, since the 2013 vintage, which might also have had an impact on quality.