2023 Domaine de la Pepiere, Muscadet ‘Clos des Briords’ Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Loire, France

100% Melon de Bourgogne. Briords is a 3-hectare lieu-dit in the cru of Chteau Thbaud. These vines are the estate’s oldest plot, planted from massale selection 60-70 years ago. The sandy clay soils are rich in granite de Thbaud, a type differing from granite de Clisson in its higher feldspar and clay content; it is cooler, holds water well and ripens the fruit more slowly. The farming is certified-biodynamic and the vineyard work including harvest is manual. As for all the Pepire wines, the fruit is direct-pressed and the juice settled naturally for 12 hours. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts; the wine is aged on its lees in large, underground, glass-lined cement tanks for 7 to 8 months.