Published Magazine in our Website - July 2025 Edition: A Glimpse of Its Contents
In a recent tasting event, the question was raised as to why Picpoul de Pinet, a wine renowned for its lemony, fresh, and saline expression, cannot be considered a great wine in its youthful state. While Picpoul de Pinet is often enjoyed for its immediate bright citrus, floral, and saline notes, allowing certain bottles to age can enhance subtle flavors and texture, elevating it closer to a serious white wine with more layered character.
The event, held on a balmy June evening, included 30 current releases and 8 wines in a masterclass, all focusing on the 'Patience' concept. This requires wines to demonstrate gastronomic potential, above-average complexity, and evident aging potential. Picpoul de Pinet, a white wine from the Languedoc region of southern France, has gained many fans around the world since the appellation was created in 2013.
Despite its reputation as a light, zesty, and refreshing white meant for early drinking, some expressions of Picpoul de Pinet benefit from careful aging. This is primarily because patience can transform Picpoul from a simple, zesty white into a more nuanced, serious wine through the development of complexity and texture.
Picpoul de Pinet wines characteristically have high acidity and a refreshing profile, which can provide the structural backbone to support some aging potential, although they are mostly enjoyed young. This acidity helps preserve the wine's freshness while allowing it to develop nuanced complexity over time, which is a hallmark of great white wines in general.
However, Picpoul's natural bright acidity and vibrant flavors also make it excellent young, offering immediate and enjoyable complexity. Wines designed for early consumption can absolutely be complex, as complexity does not solely depend on aging but can arise from the grape variety, terroir, winemaking techniques, and the balance of flavor components like acidity, minerality, fruit, and herbal notes.
The goal of the 'Patience' concept is to elevate Picpoul in the public consciousness as one of the great white wines of the Languedoc. As Beverley Blanning MW charts the shift towards terroir-driven wines in Sancerre, and Georgie Hindle shares her top picks from the Bordeaux 2024 vintage, the July 2025 issue of HighlightsMagazine will feature an article on Picpoul de Pinet.
Meanwhile, challenges for wine-growers due to changes in vineyard biodiversity have been revealed by Gemma Hadley. Ines Salpico discusses the quality of Patagonian wines, and Fiona Beckett suggests wines to pair with food cooked on an open fire, stating that they don't have to be big and bold. The July 2025 issue of our website magazine will also feature articles on Bordeaux 2024, American oak experiments by Silver Oak, Patagonian wines, terroir-driven Sancerre, fridge-door favorites, vineyard biodiversity, American single malt, wines to pair with asado, a guide to Waiheke Island, a book debunking the minerality myth, wine wisdom on the links between wine and ocean conservation, a buying guide, panel tastings of Vintage English sparkling and Catalonian whites, Frappato, weekday and weekend wines, wines born of volcanic terroirs, collecting and investing in wine, regulars, and more.
In summary, while Picpoul de Pinet is a wine that can be enjoyed young, allowing it to age can enhance its subtle flavors and texture, transforming it into a more complex and serious white wine. The 'Patience' concept aims to elevate Picpoul de Pinet in the public consciousness as one of the great white wines of the Languedoc.
- Subscribers to our premium magazine service can expect an in-depth article on Picpoul de Pinet in the July 2025 issue, highlighting its transformation from a youthful, zesty white to a more complex and serious wine through aging, a part of the 'Patience' concept designed to elevate this Languedoc wine.
- For wine enthusiasts who enjoy exploring wine travel, lifestyle, food-and-drink, and travel, our July 2025 magazine issue offers a wealth of articles, including one on Picpoul de Pinet, whose subtle flavors and texture can be enjoyed during wine travel in the Languedoc region.
- Alongside wine travel plans, consider subscribing to our magazine for insights on the broader wine world, including trends, terroir-driven wines, and expert recommendations on pairing Picpoul de Pinet with dishes cooked on an open fire, helping you build a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of this popular food-and-drink pairing.
