Andrew at www.spittoon.biz has a tasting note on a wine from Pic St Loup in the Languedoc. This is another of those sub-appellations of the Coteaux du Languedoc (St Christol, la Clape,Picpoul de Pinet are others) - another example of confusing French wine classifications. Predominantly based around the concept of "terroir" -i.e specific local factors in climate, soil, aspect etc, these sub-appellations continuously strive to become appellations in their own right - a process often dominated by politics rather than vinous distinctiveness or quality.
However, in the Pic St Loup there are some more stringent requirements compared to the wider Coteaux de Languedoc appellation - at least 90% of the blend must be from Syrah, Grenache and/or Mourvedre, and the vines must be at least 5 years old, and the yield is restricted to 50hl/ha - all of which are good precursors to quality wine, and will give the wine more distinctiveness than many wines produced in the area.
The Pic St Loup is a rugged and distinctive outcrop in the hills to the north of Montpellier (34 Herault, Languedoc)
There is a good website about the wines of Pic St Loup at www.pic-saint-loup.com and on 10 June 2006 there is an open day when you can taste the wines of the appellation and do some food matching too - see http://www.pic-saint-loup.com/rendez_vous.asp
Andrew Chapman at Surf4Wine stocks a number of good wines from the Pic St Loup.
For more on French Wine, Food & Travel see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Also see our calendar of events in France
Keywords: France,Wine,Languedoc,Herault,Montpellier,Pic,Louo,St Loup
