Picpoul de Pinet, "Muscadet of the South", is the perfect seafood pairing

Picpoul de Pinet, "Muscadet of the South", is the perfect seafood pairing

Petit Roubie Picpoul De Pinet (AOP) 2021, 12.5% ABV

RRP €16.00-16.50 Stockists: Wunderkaffee, Farran/ Organico, Bantry / Ardkeen

Grocery Store, Waterford / Sonas, Newcastlewest / Field's Supervalu,
Skibbereen / Taste, Castletownbere / Mortons, Galway /
Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny / Connemara Hamper, Clifden / Scally's

Supervalu. Clonakilty / Quay Co-Op, Cork etc. etc. Mary Pawle online.

This organic French wine has a lovely mid-gold colour. Quite aromatic, a mix of floral, citrus,  and apple. Crisp on the palate, no shortage of acidity but, with white and citrus fruit on the palate and its excellent mouthfeel, it is harmonious. Dry for sure, especially towards the finish, and obviously an excellent match for oysters and shellfish (which are abundant in the growing area).  Serve at about 8 degrees for best results; I find a degree or two lower doesn’t do any harm!

Very Highly Recommended.

Picpoul is the grape name and it is found in the Languedoc and the best of it seems to be from the village of Pinet, on the edge of the Med and about 90 minutes east of Carcassonne. It is a very old grape variety and the name means lip—stinger (after its high acidity). Wine-Searcher says this Picpoul de Pinet is its most famous incarnation. “The variety's ability to keep its acidity even in a hot, Mediterranean climate makes it the perfect choice for the region, making taut, full-bodied white wines with herbal and citrus aromas.”

Importer Mary Pawle introduces this 2021 as a dry white, with a green-gold hue. Crisp and appley. “Often referred to as the Muscadet of the South, it is excellent with oysters and most shellfish.”

"Petit Roubie Picpoul is very popular. I've been importing it for about

15 years now and at that time it wasn't so widely known here but now
it's everywhere. The Petit Roubie is excellent...".

Château Petit Roubié has been practising organic farming since 1985. Floriane and Olivier Azan have owned the estate since 1981 and have developed, thanks to a judicious choice of winemaking, a very attractive range indeed. 

***************

Check out our Top 2023 Wines here.

***************

Check out the Good Value Wine List here

***************

Their lands are in a historic area; if you visit, you can still see vestiges of the Via Domitia (the Roman road) in their scrubland. And those Roman engineers were building on top of an even older “road”. The wine, I’ve read, is presented in a Neptune bottle though that, as far as I know, has nothing to do with the Roman god of the sea.

Wine & Food Pairing : Seafood (shellfish, oysters, shrimps, mussels), Aperitif, Mediterranean Specialties: Squid stuffed with Sétoise, Mussels stuffed with Sétoise, Tielle, Soft cheese, Quiche with zucchinis and goat cheese