Domaine Pepiere (Marc Ollivier) « La Pepie » Côt 2010 (Vin de Pays du Jardin de La France, Loire Valley, France): Yes, most Muscadet is white. But not all of it. There’s a tiny bit of red wine produced here – most of the best is from Marc Ollivier, of Domaine Pepiere. Now to get technical: this wine is not really a Muscadet. According to French wine laws, Muscadet must be white, it must be made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape and it must come from a specifically defined area. This wine is made from grapes grown in that area, but they’re Malbec grapes (in the Loire, it’s called côt) and the final wine is red. So technically…it’s a Vin de Pays du Jardin de La France. But we still like to call it “red muscadet” because it has much of the same freshness, vibrancy, and a bit of the minerality of the white version.
Now if you think Malbec = Argentina, then you’re in for a surprise. This one has the same plumy, purple fruit, but because it’s from a cooler climate, it’s lighter and pleasant flora/herbal edge. There’s also no oak to cover up the bright, juicy fruit. Although this version of Malbec is much lighter than the Argentine version, it’s still a good match with meat. Grilled burgers, grilled steaks. Even grilled veggies, especially mushrooms. And as with all good summer wines – it’s great paired with nothing more than a glass.
As for the rooster on the label? Apparently “La Pepiere” is a pun involving drunken roosters. Or maybe drunken chickens. The French keep trying to explain it to us. We just nod and sip.
Price: $13.99 |