The 2019 Gras Moutons is a sensational Muscadet showing beautiful aromas of ripe pear and quince with hints of anise, stone and almond; The palate is very dense and mineral with ripe pear and white peach, quite supple and ripe but framed in firm acidity.

Marc Ollivier of Domaine de la Pépière is an example of a winemaker who has grown with his vines. In the early 1980's Marc, who was an engineer at the time, decided to move to the country for a slower pace of life. His father owned some vineyards in the cool Atlantic-influenced zone of Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine, but was not a winemaker. Marc took over his father's vineyards and bought a parcel called Clos de Briords from an elderly neighbor. Marc's first vintage was 1985. Today, many of Marc's vines are 40+ years old, and some of his vineyards are planted on granite soils, a rarity in the region.This lovely wine clearly illustrates the difference between the granite and gneiss terroirs in Muscadet. Gras Moutons is a great parcel on gneiss, in layers that permit a deep penetration by the vines, with sandy clay and amphibolite stones. The vines are at the top of a hill and on the south-facing slope overlooking the Maine. (The name, by the way, does not refer to fat sheep, but rather in local dialect, to the hilltop vineyard site.) This terroir produces lovely, classic Muscadet to drink over the next 5 to 8 years, it has a more herbal and floral bouquet than the granite-based wines and the palate, although refreshing and bright, is softer and more open.