L'ORMARINE 'DUC DE MORNY' PICPOUL DE PINET

Tasting notes:

Gently perfumed, ripe melon fruit and fresh citrus on the nose. The palate is ripe but retains excellent freshness, balanced by a touch of white pepper spice that is very typical of its grape variety. Deliciously long, the finish shows bright fruit and a clean, saline/mineral edge.

About the wine:

The Cave de L'Ormarine vineyards lie at approximately 40 metres above sea level on a chalky clay plateaux, rich in Cretaceous limestone and loaded with quartz gravel chippings. To the north, the vineyards are dominated by limestone hills that date from the Jurrassic period. The vineyards themselves slope from the north down to the Lac de Thau. It is the mineral qualities of the soils that impart the minerality into the wines. 

The grapes are carefully selected and picked at different times in the ripening process to capture the different flavour profiles. They are then de-stemmed and macerated on their skins. Racking lasts for 24 hours, followed by a fifteen day fermentation with the malo-lactic fermentation being inhibited. The wine is then fined, filtered and bottled in the tradtitional fluted bottle. 

About the producer:

Cave de L'Ormarine is an award winning Cave producing wines from the tiny Pinet appellation, in the Hérault. Set up in 1992, but with a history dating back to 1922 Cave de L'Ormarine has made significant investment in the the winery and prides itself on the high standards set and the traceability of its grapes. 

Food match:

Picpoul vines grow just inland from the Étang de Thau, home to southern Languedoc's famous oyster and mussel beds. Along the coast you'll find cabins where locals gather to feast on mussels or 'huitres braisees' (oysters cooked over a fire pit) which are perfect with a glass of Picpoul de Pinet.