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2020 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
Ermitage du Pic Saint LoupI’ve said it multiple times on these pages, but here I go again: this is one of southern France’s truly amazing values in white wine. From Roussanne grown at high altitude in limestone atop the Pic Saint Loup and aged in foudres, this inexpensive little southern French white shows so much class and is so fresh and stimulating you will be blown away. My advice: don’t miss it.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Roussanne, 30% Clairette, 10% Marsanne, 10% Grenache Blanc |
Appellation: | Languedoc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup |
Winemaker: | Xavier, Pierre, and Jean-Marc Ravaille |
Vineyard: | 15 – 80 years, 8 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Dolomite |
Aging: | Whites are fermented and aged in foudres and demi-muids for 10 months, aged for 12 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
One of the great reds of the Languedoc. Rhône Valley, look out!
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This wine is full of fresh Grenache fruit, beautifully perfumed, with a refined and elegant finish.
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
It’s dense, noble, with grip and grit, the kind of cuvée that could generate a lot of awe and attention... and also a much higher price tag.
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
These ancient hillside vines yield very little, giving an intensely concentrated juice with great acidity and a textured finish. Open it alongside seafood or as an apéritif.
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A blend of Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, and Vermentino that tastes as if bees had harvested the nectar and pollen of all the local flowers and herbs and brewed it into wine.
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cherry-cheeked and ebullient, this old-vine Mourvèdre acts anything but its age. Pure fun and drinkability; black cherry, citrus and stone. Age ain't nothing but a number!
2022 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A remarkably graceful rouge from one of our favorite appellations in southern France.
2022 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Melony, snappy, bright, and clean, this is a delightful everyday white with a refreshingly different flavor profile.
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Shows a kinship with the northern Rhône, echoing aromas of black olive and violets.
About The Producer
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup
About The Region
Languedoc-Roussillon
Ask wine drinkers around the world, and the word “Languedoc” is sure to elicit mixed reactions. On the one hand, the region is still strongly tied to its past as a producer of cheap, insipid bulk wine in the eyes of many consumers. On the other hand, it is the source of countless great values providing affordable everyday pleasure, with an increasing number of higher-end wines capable of rivaling the best from other parts of France.
While there’s no denying the Languedoc’s checkered history, the last two decades have seen a noticeable shift to fine wine, with an emphasis on terroir. Ambitious growers have sought out vineyard sites with poor, well draining soils in hilly zones, curbed back on irrigation and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and looked to balance traditional production methods with technological advancements to craft wines with elegance, balance, and a clear sense of place. Today, the overall quality and variety of wines being made in the Languedoc is as high as ever.
Shaped like a crescent hugging the Mediterranean coast, the region boasts an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates depending on elevation, exposition, and relative distance from the coastline and the cooler foothills farther inland. While the warm Mediterranean climate is conducive to the production of reds, there are world-class whites and rosés to be found as well, along with stunning dessert wines revered by connoisseurs for centuries.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
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2022 Languedoc Blanc
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2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
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2022 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris” MAGNUM
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
Domaine d'Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Valinière”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
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2019 Corbières Rouge “Campagnès”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174