In the early 1980s, Marc Olivier (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. He took over his father’s vineyards and bought a parcel called Clos de Briords from a neighbor. Marc’s first vintage was 1985 and his primary goal as a winemaker at the time was to simply complete fermentation. As such, he began fermentation using cultured yeasts and finished the wine off with a dose of SO2.
As he matured as a winemaker, he experimented with ambient yeasts and began bottling with minimal amounts of SO2. The results were extraordinary; the wines showed greater depth, richness and complexity. Encouraged by his success, Marc began transitioning all his vineyards to organic and continued his minimalist approach in the winery. His wines have since become the benchmark for the region and have exposed a world of previously unknown potential in the area.
Marc Ollivier’s wines are the antithesis of a modern commercial “product.” He hand harvests (a rarity in the region). Ripening is slower, and the longer hang-time before harvest allows for optimal maturity. He only uses natural indigenous yeasts to start fermentation. The vinification techniques are traditional for the area: no skin maceration but direct pressing within 2 hours of picking, racking of the must after 12 hours to remove the solid matter, and controlled temperatures, not to exceed 71.6 degrees F, for the fermentation. He never uses sterile filtration, only permitting one light filtration prior to bottling.
He is the only grower in the whole region to not have a single clonal selection in his vineyards. Over the last century grape growers have lost a huge proportion of the plant diversity in their fields. It’s a rare treat to be able to buy wine from a grower that still has all original genetic stock in his vines. The virtues of Ollivier are reflected in his wines, they are some of the finest expressions of Muscadet, not to mention that they are also a tremendous value given their caliber.
The grapes for the Pepiere “3” come from the same parcel as the famous “Granite de Clisson” bottling and have spent three years on the lees and an additional 1.5 years in the bottle, making it rounder on the palate. This is a new release from Marc Ollivier, the wine was a vat of 100 hectolitres, 80% from designated “Granite de Clisson” vines and 20% from old vines in the Pepiere vineyard (also on Clisson granite).
Rich, supple and broad on the palate. Pronounced acidity — balanced with some fat and richness. Citrus, with saline, a little tropical fruit and loaded with minerality. 12% alcohol. Imported by Louis Dressner. Highly recommended.
