Picpoul de Pinet, southern France
On a recent visit to Montpelier, I enjoyed a wonderful lunch of oysters and Bouillabaisse with Gilles and Marie Claire. What better to accompany such a meal than a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet.
Picpoul de Pinet is an appellation within southern France’s Languedoc region. It is located midway between Montpellier and Béziers, on the Mediterranean coast.
The area covered by the appellation is separated from the waves of the Mediterranean Sea only by the Bassin de Thau (aka Étang de Thau), a lagoon measuring 18 kilometers (11 miles) long and 5km (3 miles) wide.
The Picpoul de Pinet title covers the communities of Pinet, Mèze, Florensac, Castelnau-de-Guers, Montagnac and Pomerols (not to be confused with Bordeaux’s Pomerol). Within this area, there are around 1400 hectares (3000 acres) of vineyards.
The climate here is obviously Mediterranean, with long, hot summers and relatively mild winters helping to bring the Picpoul grapes to full phenolic ripeness. There is also a strong marine influence, due to the area’s coastal proximity to the Bassin de Thau and the Mediterranean beyond it.
Picpoul de Pinet is generally a crisp, well-textured citrus-scented white wines made exclusively from Picpoul grapes. The name Pique-poul translates literally as “stings the lip”, and is a reference to the grape’s mouthwateringly high acidity. Similar styles of wine include Loire Valley’s Muscadet and Portugal’s Vinho Verde.
As I can testify, Picpoul’s high acidity lends itself to accompanying oysters. I enjoyed the following Picpoul, Beauvignac 2023.
The Sommelier’s note:
” Pale yellow color with green highlights. Citrus nose (grapefruit). Supple and delicate attack. Beautiful length and finesse of aromas with intense citrus fruitiness. Fresh and persistent finish. To be enjoyed as an aperitif , with raw and cooked shellfish, oysters au gratin, grilled fish.”
I may not be as poetic as The Sommelier, but I fully endorse these tasting notes.
But while Picpoul wines are typically best enjoyed when young and fresh, there have been experiments in producing aged Picpoul de Pinet wines with greater aging potential.