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Picpoul de Pinet
Southern France and its sunny, Mediterranean-influenced vineyards are best known for their robust reds. Still, the region is also home to one of the most exciting white wines in the country. The lesser-known Picpoul de Pinet is a connoisseurs’ secret and one that can provide endless hours of vinous enjoyment to wine aficionados and new wine drinkers alike.
Picpoul de Pinet is another example of white wine made with grapes grown on white soils, the secret behind prestigious wines as successful as Champagne. And although Picpoul de Pinet is relatively scarce, finding a bottle of this crisp white wine is easier than ever. The quality is also at its highest point in decades, making Picpoul de Pinet an easy decision.
If you enjoy refreshing white wine with a Mediterranean feel, the pale wines from Picpoul de Pinet AOP are for you; they’re astoundingly versatile at the table as well! Let’s explore the fruit-forward wines of Pinet, made with one of the lesser-known noble varieties in France — Picpoul.
Production
Picpoul de Pinet goes back for centuries. Wines made with the local Picpoul grape around the commune of Pinet were already praised in the 14th century, although the region’s wine might be much older than that. Still, by 1963, before the first efforts to turn the coastal area into a touristic destination and wine-producing appellation, there were only 50 hectares of Picpoul.
Picpoul de Pinet AOP covers a vast region along the Bassin de Thau, a lagoon separating the region from the Mediterranean coast. Grape growers in the area make around 80,000 hectolitres of wine, with the fruit harvested from about 1,400 hectares of vines. The appellation includes the area around six communes, Mèze, Florensac, Castelnau-de-Guers, Montagnac, Pomerols and Pinet. Today, there are approximately 24 wineries in Picpoul de Pinet and four cooperatives.
The weather in Picpoul de Pinet is warm and humid, thanks to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. The soil is varied, but limestone is common, and although the climate is mild and pleasant for tourists (and the many flamingos that live in the area,) not all wine grapes can take the heat. Only the rare Picpoul varietal seems to feel at home in such extreme climate.
Grape Varieties and Blends
Picpoul, or better said Piquepoul Blanc, is the only varietal authorised in the Picpoul de Pinet appellation. Piquepoul is an ancient varietal prized for retaining adequate acidity even in warm climates. Although the variety was prevalent throughout the ages, it fell out of fashion in the 1800s, as American fungal diseases and pests hit it hard, such as phylloxera, downy and powdery mildew. Still, the varietal was resurrected in the mid-1900s, with the creation of the Picpoul de Pinet VDQS in 1945 and its promotion to AOC in 1990.
To ensure the grapes reach maturity and the wine made from them has the right organoleptic properties, the yields are kept at a maximum of 10,000 kg of fruit per hectare. Another way the appellation’s regulations ensure the wine is of high quality is by fixing the fruit’s minimum sugar content to 192 grams per litre of must, providing the wine with at least 12% ABV.
Buy Picpoul de Pinet Wine from Hourlier Wines
Domaine de Campaucels Jean le Blanc
Pale yellow colour, with aromas of grapefruit zest, acacia and pear; Nice salinity and fresh on the palate, with good length and volume. Enjoy with shellfish and goat cheese at 8-10°C.
FAQ
Where does Picpoul de Pinet wine originate?
Picpoul is a French Appellation in southern Languedoc-Roussillon, and it specialises in wines made with the white grape Picpoul. Picpoul de Pinet is only produced in the vineyards within six communes surrounding the Etang de Thau or the Bassin de Thau, including Pinet. The region is not far from the Mediterranean coast, so it’s warm and humid. The soils are sandy and limestone-rich, allowing for the ideal conditions to grow such rare wine grape.
What does Picpoul de Pinet wine taste like?
Picpoul de Pinet is a medium-bodied white wine with citrus, floral and tropical scents over a dry, often mineral palate. The wine has medium-high alcohol and acidity levels and a lengthy aftertaste. Most wines in the area benefit from lees ageing, a process that gives them a richer, more textural mouthfeel.
Which food groups pair well with Picpoul De Pinet wine?
Picpoul De Pinet is ideal for seafood pairings. Whitefish and shellfish, including molluscs and crustaceans, benefit from the wine’s acidity. Fresh and curd cheese, especially goat’s cheese, is compatible with the citrusy wine. Vegetable-based dishes are also good partners for Picpoul, and so are salads with citrus-based vinaigrettes. Picpoul De Pinet is also a fantastic standalone wine that can be enjoyed as an apéritif, especially on warm summer days and evenings spent outdoors.
