Picpoul de Pinet report 2023: Latest releases tasted

[breakout] Picpoul de Pinet 2022 vintage rating: 4.5 / 5 [/breakout] An electrifying, savoury scent meets my nostrils as I wind down the car window: wet rocks, mossy greenness, a briny tang; it's the smell of the sea. I can't see it yet, all I can see are neat rows of trellised vines blurring past, on a flat expanse of pale, clayey-looking soils. I know it's there though, I can sense it. We are driving along the edge of the Étang de Thau, a large lagoon, behind which the Picpoul de Pinet vineyard area spreads over 1,550ha. Being a coastal, Mediterranean climate, rainfall is low, winters are mild and sea mists and breezes play an important role in getting the vines just enough moisture. The 2021 and 2022 vintages were markedly different in climate terms. Most of what is available on the market now, however, is from 2022, with only three 2021s shown at the tasting, all of which were Patience cuvées but none of which scored particularly high. See the Languedoc report 2023 homepage Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Picpoul de Pinet wines from 2022 [subscriber-content] 2021 [caption id="attachment_515542" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Patience cuvées are put into darker bottles to differentiate them from the traditional and distinctive 'Neptune' bottles used for regular Picpoul de Pinet bottlings. Credit: Decanter / Natalie Earl[/caption] The growing season The 2021 April frosts were certainly felt here. Claude Jourdan, winemaker at Domaine Félines Jourdan, says that the frost had a huge impact on ‘ 20% of the vineyard area ’ . This was followed by a humid spring and summer, and it was hard work maintaining healthy vines. Whites The three 2021s on show were all Patience cuvées: a new style of Picpoul that the appellation is developping. Its main focus is to show that Picpoul de Pinet wines have the potential to age, yet somewhat counterintuitively the three 2021 Patience wines on show were less attractive that the 2022 Patience cuvées shown. The younger Patience cuvées were in fact the best in the entire tasting, which actually suggests that this new style, which uses grapes harvested at higher maturity and often sees longer lees ageing, should be enjoyed when young. That being said, the 2021 vintage could be somewhat of an anomaly due to such difficult conditions. Too few 2021s were tasted to give an accurate rating for this vintage. [breakout] See the Languedoc latest releases score tables: All top-scoring wines

All top-scoring white wines

All top-scoring red wines

[/breakout] See all Picpoul de Pinet latest releases rated 2022 [caption id="attachment_515545" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Piquepoul vines at Domaine Félines Jourdan, the Mediterranean sea on their doorstep. Credit: Decanter / Natalie Earl[/caption] The growing season From the beginning of June, there was ‘ exceptional drought and intense heat, ’ says Jourdan. Nonetheless, yields were normal, especially in light of the 2021 losses. Whites Despite the heat and drought, the 2022s are particularly delicious, showing lots of fruit concentration. I was surprised by the richness of these wines, the opulence and sometimes tropical fruit profile, but always balanced by that characterful zestiness. Most, but not all, had good succulence and that irresistible breezy salinity. Individual appellation analysis:

[caption id="attachment_515562" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Blind tasting Picpoul de Pinet wines.[/caption] [breakout] Top-scoring wines Château Petit Roubié, L'O Sur Lie Patience, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 94 points

Les Vignerons de Florensac, Florès Le Picpoul de Pinet Patience, Picpoul de Pinet 2019 – 94 points

Domaine de Castelnau, Vignoble Muret, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 93 points

Château de Pinet, Cuvée des Comtesses, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 92 points

Château Petit Roubié, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 92 points [/breakout]

[caption id="attachment_515550" align="aligncenter" width="630"] At the Costières de Pomerols / Beavignac cooperative winery.[/caption] [breakout] Top five value wines Château Petit Roubié, L'O Sur Lie Patience, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 92 points

Château Petit Roubié, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 92 points

Domaine Belle Mare, Classique, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 92 points

Font-Mars, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 92 points

Domaine Félines-Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet 2022 – 91 points [/breakout]

[caption id="attachment_515551" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Piquepoul vineyard. Credit: Decanter: Natalie Earl[/caption] [breakout] Top producers to look out for Domaine Félines Jourdan A family domaine with 100ha of vines, mostly (50ha) of Piquepoul but also a number of other vareties, such as Roussanne and Viognier, which are made under the AP Languedoc and IGP labels. Les Vignerons de Florensac A cooperative winery in the village of Florensac with around 70 growers. Domaine de Font-Mars A domaine of 55ha based in the town of Mèze, making one main Picpoul de Pinet cuvée, a 100% Viognier and a rosé. Domaine de Petit Roubié An organic domaine with 80ha and a huge range of wines, many of which are single-variety IGP wines. [/breakout] [/subscriber-content] See the Languedoc report 2023 homepage Tasting notes and scores for the top Picpoul de Pinet latest releases: The wines below are listed by score. [wine-collection] Related articles Top 10 Languedoc wineries to visit Alsace Grand Cru vintage report: 2020 & 2021 Corbières Reds: Panel tasting results