About the Domaine
Pépin is a partnership between Jean and Pierre Dietrich of Domaine Achillée and Xavier Couturier and Pierre Sanchez of Duo Oenologie. As producers of natural wines, the friends set out to create a line of natural wines that are more accessible to casual wine drinkers, while also supporting small independent vignerons interested in producing zero sulfur wines. Each cuvée comes from hand harvested, organically or biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from a small independent grower. The wines are vinified using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts, and without any winemaking inputs, including sulphur.
Currently Pépin is working with 15 independent growers throughout France to produce four wines: red, white, rosé, and orange that are available year-round. Each release is vinified locally with Pépin consulting on the style of the wines and performing the necessary enological testing to ensure the wines are stable and without flaws. The wines are normally bottled on site, but at times it is necessary to ship the wine in bulk for blending and bottling at Domaine Achillée. Inevitably the blends for each cuvée will change, but the goal is for each new release to have a similar flavor profile as the previous.
This is a young project but growing quickly, and hopefully this will be a springboard for some of the great natural winemakers of tomorrow.
View Label
Region: Alsace
Appellation: Vin de France
Grapes: 31% Muscat, 24% Klevner, 18% Sylvaner, 11% Pinot Gris, 10% Riesling, 6% Auxerrois
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: Multiple vineyards at an average altitude of 575 feet (175m)
Soils/Terroir: From vineyards located throughout Alsace on soils of sandstone, limestone, and granite.
Farming: Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 50 hl/ha
Vinification: Each variety is harvested, crushed, and undergoes a 5-to-8-day maceration on the skins. Over half of the volume is co-fermented. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts and the wine went through full malolactic fermentation. After the completion of malolactic fermentation, the various components were blended. No sulfur additions were made during the vinification of this wine, and the finished wine contains 1.5 grams/liter of residual sugar.
Maturation: Aged in stainless-steel tanks for 7 months. Bottled without fining or filtration.
pH: 3.68
Total SO2: 14ppm
View Label
Region: Alsace
Appellation: Vin de France
Grapes: 25% Muscat, 22% Riesling, 21% Gewurztraminer, 18% Pinot Gris, 14% Pinot Blanc
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: Multiple vineyards at an average altitude of 575 feet (175m)
Soils/Terroir: From vineyards located on the lower plains of the Bas-Rhin on soils of clay, sandstone, limestone, and granite.
Farming: Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 50 hl/ha
Vinification: Each variety is harvested, pressed, and fermented separately. Approximately 20% of the volume is crushed and macerated on the skins for 2-3 days. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts and the wine went through full malolactic fermentation. After the completion of malolactic fermentation, the components were blended. No sulfur additions were made during the vinification of this wine, and the finished wine contains 1.1 grams/liter of residual sugar.
Maturation: Aged in stainless-steel tanks for 8 months. Bottled without fining or filtration.
pH: 3.54
Total SO2: 12ppm
View Label
Region: Alsace
Appellation: Vin de France
Grapes: 20% Riesling, 40% Pinot Blanc, 30% Auxerrois
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: Multiple vineyards at an average altitude of 650 feet (200m)
Soils/Terroir: From vineyards located on the lower plains of the Bas-Rhin on soils of sand, silt, clay, and sandstone
Farming: Biodynamic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 35 hl/ha
Vinification: Each variety are harvested, pressed, and fermented separately. Direct pressing of the whole bunches is followed by one-night of lees settling before the start of fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts and the wine went through full malolactic fermentation. After the completion of malolactic fermentation, the components were blended. No sulfur additions were made at any point during the vinification process.
Maturation: Aged in stainless-steel tanks for 6 months. Bottled without fining or filtration.
pH: 3.31
Total SO2: 12ppm
View Label
Region: Alsace
Appellation: Vin de France
Grapes: 50% Riesling, 10% Pinot Gris, 10% Pinot Blanc, 10% Auxerrois, 10% Gewurztraminer, 10% Sylvaner
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: Multiple vineyards at an average altitude of 650 feet (200m)
Soils/Terroir: From vineyards located near the village of Traenheim on soils of Limestone and Marl.
Farming: Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 40 hl/ha
Vinification: Each variety is harvested, pressed, and fermented separately. Direct pressing of the whole bunches is followed by one-night of lees settling before the start of fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts and the wine went through full malolactic fermentation. After the completion of malolactic fermentation, the components were blended. No sulfur additions were made at any point during the vinification process.
Maturation: Aged in stainless-steel tanks for 6 months. Bottled without fining or filtration. Pépin Blanc No. 04 has 3.6 grams of residual sugar.
pH: 3.35
Total SO2: 12ppm
View Label
Region: Alsace
Appellation: Vin de France
Grapes: 40% Riesling, 30% Sylvaner, 30% Auxerrois
Average Vine Age: 40 years
Altitude: Multiple vineyards at an average altitude of 985 feet (300m)
Soils/Terroir: The grapes come predominately from Granite soils.
Farming: Biodynamic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 35 hl/ha
Vinification: Each variety are harvested, pressed, and fermented separately. Direct pressing of the whole bunches is followed by one-night of lees settling before the start of fermentation in stainless steel tanks and large oak foudres of many vintages. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts and the wine went through full malolactic fermentation. After the completion of malolactic fermentation, the components were blended. No sulfur additions were made at any point during the vinification process.
Maturation: Aged in large oak foudres of many vintages for 4-6 months. Bottled without fining or filtration. Pépin Blanc No. 02 has 2.6 grams of residual sugar.
pH: 3.43
Total SO2: 12ppm
View Label
Region: Roussillon
Appellation: Vin de France
Grapes: 36% Syrah, 40% Carignan, 8% Grenache Noir, 8% Cinsault, and 8% Muscat d’Alexandrie
Average Vine Age: 35 years
Altitude: Multiple vineyards at an average altitude of 985 feet (300m)
Soils/Terroir: Multiple vineyards with soils of clay, limestone, schist, granite, and gneiss.
Farming: Biodynamic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 30 hl/ha
Vinification: Whole cluster co-fermentation for the Syrah and the Carignan in stainless steel tanks. The Grenache Noir and Cinsault are crushed and fermented separately. The Muscat d’Alexandrie was directly pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation began naturally using only indigenous yeasts and the components were blended at the completion of malolactic fermentation. No sulfur additions were made at any point during the vinification process.
Maturation: Aged in stainless steel tanks for 6-8 months and bottled without fining or filtration.
pH: 3.55
Total SO2: 13ppm
View Label
Region: Languedoc
Appellation: Vin de France
Grapes: 45% Syrah, 45% Carignan, 10% Muscat d’Alexandrie
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: Multiple vineyards at an average altitude of 330 feet (100m)
Soils/Terroir: Clay and limestone soils, covered with Galets Roulés.
Farming: Biodynamic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 30 hl/ha
Vinification: Whole cluster co-fermentation for the Syrah and the Carginan in stainless steel tanks for 8 days before pressing. The Muscat d’Alexandrie was directly pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation began naturally using only indigenous yeasts and the components were blended at the completion of malolactic fermentation. No sulfur additions were made at any point during the vinification process.
Maturation: Aged in stainless steel tanks for 6-8 months and bottled without fining or filtration.
pH: 3.61
Total SO2: 14ppm
