Grape Variety: Piquepoul Noir

Colour: Red

Red wines produced from Picpoul noir (or Piquepoul Noir) are high in alcohol, richly scented, but have a very pale colour, which has made the variety more popular as a blending ingredient than as a producer of varietal wines.

Both the blanc and noir versions of Piquepoul are permitted blending grapes for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Our example of this lesser seen variety comes in Pierre Cros’ Mal-Aimes, a quirky blend of Languedocian ugly ducklings, namely Aramon, Alicante, Piquepoul Noir and Carignan.The old bush vines range from 70-90 years old and are naturally low producing. Viticulture is organic and in the winery the grapes are vinified separately. Carbonic maceration is used to extract fruity aromas. The wine has a warm nose of apricots and plums, velvety red fruits with notes of cocoa-bean, soft, smooth tannins and go well with roast stuffed vegetables, ratatouille and lamb with garrigue herbs.