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Christophe Muret Carte Blanche Picpoul de Pinet

2023

Christophe Muret, an ex-melon farmer now Picpoul star.

Languedoc's Picpoul is known for its lip-smacking acidity, and this wine certainly delivers a striking citrus kick. This is somewhat calmed by floral undertones, a fresh palate of melon, and a sleek salinity on the finish. Light, bright and clean, this makes a perfect pairing to any seafood dish.

Produced in the village of Castelnau-de-Guers, a small village in the heart of Picpoul country, it not only reflects great value, but also a more modern take on style and presentation. Christophe Muret has an immense enthusiasm for his vines, which he cultivates on a minimal intervention principle (and is in effect organic), is infectious. His vines are set upon a garrigue filled outcrop of red clay and limestone, with loamy soils, exposed to cooling winds which help to retain freshness in the wines.

Picpoul is the wine for spring and summer, although some of us enjoy it all year round. The climate there is 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. However, the extent of the effect of this varies within the AOC zone. Perfect with any seafood and traditionally enjoyed with oysters.

Details

More Information
Wine Type	White wine
Closure	Screw Cap
Alc. Vol	12.5
Units	9.38
Region	Languedoc
Country	France
Grape Varietal	Picpoul
Food Pairings	Seafood, Oysters

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Languedoc-Roussillon

Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France stretches from the Rhône valley in the east to the Spanish border in the southwest. The region of Languedoc has belonged to France since the thirteenth century and the Roussillon was acquired from Spain in the mid-seventeenth century. The two regions were joined as one administrative region in the late 1980s.

Dominated by 300,000 hectares of vineyards, it is France’s largest wine producing region. Vineyards are often called ‘patchwork’ because so many different grape varieties grow together, and many producers make blends instead of single varietal wines. Reds are rich with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre as major components. Whites are unoaked and zesty, made mostly with Picpoul and Grenache Blanc.

Important appellations include Minervois, Corbières, Picpoul de Pinet and Terrasses du Larzac. Blanquette de Limoux and Crémant de Limoux are popular sparkling wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

France

France – the home of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne – is arguably the world's most important wine-producing country. For centuries, it has produced wine in greater quantity – and many would say quality – than any other nation, and its attraction is not just volume or prestige, but also the variety of styles available.

The diversity of French wine is due, in part, to the country's wide range of climates. Champagne, its most northerly region, has one of the coolest climates, whereas Bordeaux has a maritime climate, heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the various rivers that wind their way between vineyards. Both in stark contrast to the southern regions of Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, which enjoy a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and mild winters.

Terroir is also key. From the granite hills of Beaujolais to the famous chalky slopes of Chablis and the gravels of the Médoc, the sites and soils on which France's vineyards have been developed are considered of vital importance and are at the heart of the concept of terroir.