Taste
It was love at first sight with this vibrant ancient French varietal of Picpoul. Pleasant hints of acacia, a delicate fresh mouthfeel, and an excellent minerally dry finish, make it a perfect pairing with your favorite salty seafood or with rich cheese charcuterie platter.
Story
Picpoul is one of the older white wine varietals from Languedoc- Roussillon’s Picpoul de Pinet AOC in southwest France. Grown by a string of lagoons stretching from the coast to the Pyrénées for centuries, only fairly recently Picpoul has gained widespread appreciation as a dry aromatic white wine. The history transcends through the vines as Via Domitia – an ancient Roman route – runs through these ‘marine’ vines. Adjacent to the largest oyster pond in Europe, limestone, slay, and fossilized oysters fill the soil with substantial mineral structure that transfers symbiotically to the vines and into the grapes. The white Picpoul grape inclines to ripen late, so the warm, humid Mediterranean breezes help it mature in good conditions. Harvesting in the cool hours of the morning (3 till 8 am) helps preserve the grape’s natural high level of acidity. In fact, a loose translation of Picpoul, is ‘lip stinger’, on account of its zingy acidity. This is complemented by layers of bright citrus and tropical notes, with aromas of blossom.
Complements
Picpoul works best in food matches featuring strong flavored sea food dishes like salmon, swordfish, scallops, clams, oysters and rich cream or butter sauces.
