by Jacob
Over the summer, I took a trip to Rodman’s in Washington, DC to pick up some white wines. I mostly bought Sauvignon Blanc with the intention of drinking them within six months. The other night, we had a friend over for dinner and opened the last bottle to pair with salmon. Much to my surprise, this wine was not Sauvignon Blanc, but made from a grape named Picpoul de Pinet or Piquepoul and made in Languedoc in France. This is not a grape with which I am familiar, but I always love to try new varietals.
Bottled in a Riesling-style bottle (think green, tall, and narrow), the 2010 LaChapelle De La Bastide Picpol de Pinet had a nose of green apple and light citrus (lemon, maybe tangerine) and was a light straw color. On the palate, the wine continues the nose of green apple and combines it with pineapple and some floral notes in the taste and moderate alcohol at 12.5%.
After tasting the wine, I would place the Picpoul de Pinet grape somewhere between Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. This wine had earthy qualities found in Sauvignon Blanc and the effervescent and sweet notes found in Riesling. (Rating ***1/2)
