2005 Picpoul Blanc

Production Notes

The 2005 Tablas Creek Vineyard Picpoul Blanc (also known as Piquepoul or Piquepoul Blanc in France) is Tablas Creek’s second bottling of this traditional Southern Rhone 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 Coteaux de Languedoc. Literally translating to “lip stinger”, 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.

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 are so excited about 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 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.

The 2005 vintage was one of nature’s lucky breaks, with excellent quality and higher-than-normal yields. The wet winter of ’04–’05 gave the grapevines ample groundwater, and a warm period in March got the vines off to an early May flowering. The summer was uniformly sunny but relatively cool, and harvest began (relatively late for us) in the 3rd week of September, giving the grapes nearly a month longer than normal on the vine. The resulting wines were intensely mineral, with good structure and powerful aromatics. The Picpoul was harvested in one day on November 1st.

The Picpoul grapes were whole cluster pressed, and fermented using native yeasts in neutral barrels to complement the grapes’ minerality with a bit of roundness. The wine was bottled in May 2006.

Tasting Notes

The 2005 Picpoul shows a rich nose of roasted pear and spice. In the mouth, buttery flavors of pineapple and orange are balanced by crisp acids, with a lingering piña colada finish.

Reviews

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Recipe Suggestions

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Food Pairings

  • Fried Calamari
  • Thai dishes with lemongrass & ginger
  • Dover sole
  • Ceviche
Picpoul Blanc

Not Available for Purchase

Blend

  • 100% Picpoul Blanc

Technical Notes

  • 14.5% Alcohol by Volume
  • 75 Cases Produced

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