La Chapelle de la Bastide - Picpoul de Pinet 2013

Food matches

A must with seafood and grilled fish (it neutralizes the salt and iodine in shellfish and other crustaceans). It’s best drunk young and cool (between 8-10°).

Tasting notes

Lovely bright yellow colour with green reflects. The floral nose (white flowers) balances well with the appealing fruity character of the wine: pear and green apple, garrigue character gives balance to the full bodied, mineral and citrussy finish.

Soil

In the South of France, stretching along the Thau lagoon to the west of the Mediterranean's Golfe de Lyon lies the largest white wine producing area in the Languedoc: the Picpoul de Pinet terroir. It consists of a triangle bounded by Agde, Pezenas and Sete: a limestone plateau basking in the rising sun covered in highly perfumed garrigue, rows of vines, and scattered pine groves. These Marine vineyards on the edge of the Thau Lagoon are amongst the oldest on the Mediterranean; they are crossed by the Via Domitienne and close to the historic ports of Sete and Agde. The area's white wines have been known for centuries thanks to the Piquepoul grape which thrives here, winning a constant battle with winds and tides. The Piquepoul grape inclines to ripen late, so the warm, humid sea breezes help it mature in good conditions. The Chapelle de la Bastide comes from a selection of vineyards of the Montagnac "terroir", on an exceptional limestone and clay soil, providing a deep freshness an minerality character.

Winemaking

The Picpoul grapes are desteemed before beeing vinified under low temperature control (14 to 17°) in stainless steel vats. After the vinification, the wine is stored in stainless steel vats for a short period of time on noble lies. The new vintage is released early January but Picpoul takes a couple of months to be at its best.

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