Quick pickup during a LastBottleWines marathon, in a quest to try new varietals – just $15. Stored at 45°, popped and poured on a weekday. Paired with a grilled salmon and veggie dinner.
Visually, a pale yellow color. Interesting shape to the Picpoul bottle!
On the nose, faint white flowers at the rim. Then familiar lemon and grapefruit scents, notes of green apples & pears. Deeper in, fresh baked pastries! Familiar nose to some entry level Vouvray and some petit Chablis.
On the palate, a lightly oily texture paired with a very light body made for easy drinking with the meal. The acidity got progressively zippier as the bottle warmed – since it was quite meh at glass one but back to just middling by glass three. The flavor profile mirrored the citrus and orchard fruit on the nose, but I struggled to pick up any minerality or anything more – not very complex at all. Very short finish – and despite 13%, no warmth even by the last few sips. Just a regular ol' easy drinker.
At the $10-$20 price point for whites, I would struggle to find a place for this bottle in the rotation. I will keep exploring the varietal, but with a little more research on producers than just snapping up a deal.
by JJxiv15
2 Comments
I’m a big fan of Picpoul de Pinet. I consider it sort of a “swimming pool” wine because it’s a nice and relatively inexpensive sip by the pool. I think you’ll find that all the producers use a similar bottle – maybe an AOC regulation, or maybe it’s just marketing. I particularly like the HB brand Picpoul that is wide.y available in the U.S. for about $12.
Trader Joe’s recently started carrying one, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the HB.
Great grape, nice summer wine! For me it’s in the Pinot Grigio/Rosé category, will please amateurs and connoisseurs!