2014 Picpoul Blanc
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The 2014 Tablas Creek Vineyard Picpoul Blanc (also known as Piquepoul or Piquepoul Blanc in France) is Tablas Creek’s eighth bottling of this traditional Southern Rhône varietal, used in Châteauneuf du Pape as a blending component, and best known from the crisp light green wines of the Pinet Region in the Languedoc. Derived from the French "piquer" (to sting), in France the grape is known for its bright acidity, its minerality, and a clean lemony flavor. We have found that in California, it maintains its bright acidity, but also develops an appealing tropical lushness.
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2014 Picpoul Blanc: Featured Wine for May
Each month, we pick an "under the radar" wine that we feel is showing particularly well, and offer it at a 10% discount for the duration of the feature. This discount is in addition to any discounts offered by club membership, case purchases, etc. This month's feature is our floral, tropical, saline Picpoul Blanc... a small production varietal bottling of a classic blending grape from the southern Rhone. The Picpoul Blanc feature ends June 1st. Shop »
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89-91 points; "silky and open-knit": Vinous (Sep. 2015)
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88-90 points; "rich, textured...classy": Wine Advocate (Aug. 2015)
Tasting Notes
The 2014 Picpoul Blanc has a mostly savory nose of watermelon rind, dried pineapple, green herbs, white flowers and lemon peel. The mouth is exuberant by comparison, richly tangy with pineapple juice and sweet baking spices, bright acids, and saline minerality, with a long finish of fresh mango and crushed rocks. Drink now and over the next few years.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 14.2% Alcohol by Volume
- 350 Cases Produced
Blend
- 100% Picpoul Blanc
Recipes & Pairings
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Fried Calamari
- Thai dishes with lemongrass & ginger
- Dover sole
- Ceviche
Production Notes
Picpoul Blanc was the first supplementary varietal we brought into the country after the initial eight varietals. It went into quarantine in 1996, and was released in 1998. The first vines went into the ground in 2000. We have been so pleased with the varietal that in the winter of 2005-2006 we tripled our planted acreage (from 1 to 3 acres).
Our Picpoul grapes were grown on our certified organic estate vineyard.
The 2014 vintage was our third consecutive drought year and saw our earliest-ever beginning to the growing season. The summer was warm but without serious heat spikes, and our coolest August in a decade slowed ripening at a critical period. When it warmed back up in September, the fruit tumbled in, and we finished in mid-October, about two weeks earlier than normal. The result was a vintage with excellent concentration balanced by good freshness, which should be vibrant and powerful young, but with the balance to age. Our picpoul was harvested between September 17th and October 6th.
The Picpoul grapes were whole cluster pressed, and fermented using native yeasts in a mix of stainless steel and small, mostly neutral, barrels to achieve a balance of freshness and richness. It completed malolactic fermentation in barrel, and was blended in April 2015 and bottled in June 2015.