Piquepoul Explained

Piquepoul blanc
Color:Blanc
Species:Vitis vinifera
Also Called:Picpoul, Picpoul blanc, Picpoul de Pinet
Origin:France
Hazards:Fungal diseases
Regions:Languedoc
Notable Wines:Picpoul de Pinet
Piquepoul Gris
Color:Gris
Species:Vitis vinifera
Also Called:Piquepoul rose, Picpoul, Picpoul gris
Piquepoul noir
Color:Noir
Species:Vitis vinifera
Also Called:Picpoul, Picpoul noir

Piquepoul (pronounced as /fr/), Picpoul, or Picapoll is a variety of wine grape grown primarily in the Rhone Valley and Languedoc regions of France as well as Catalonia, Spain. It exists both in dark-skinned (Piquepoul noir) and light-skinned (Piquepoul blanc) versions, as well as a very little grown Piquepoul gris. Piquepoul blanc is the most common of the Piquepouls, with cultivated in France in 2000, and an increasing trend.[1]

Piquepoul tends to bud late and has some sensitivity to powdery mildew.

History

Piquepoul has a long history in the Languedoc region, and along with Cinsault and Clairette blanche is one of the oldest domestic grape varieties of that region. It was blended with Clairette blanche to produce the wine Picardan in the 17th & 18th centuries.[1]

After the Great French Wine Blight, when large shifts in varieties planted took place, Piquepoul lost popularity due to its susceptibility to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and its low yield.

Piquepoul wines

In Languedoc, Piquepoul blanc is used both for blending and for varietal wines. Red wines produced from Picpoul noir are high in alcohol, are 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.[1]

Both the blanc and noir versions of Piquepoul are permitted blending grapes for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. However, in 2004 only 0.15% of the appellation's surface was planted with the Piquepoul varieties.[2]

In the New World, Piquepoul is being successfully grown in the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains (5000 feet above sea level) in the Willcox AVA of southern Arizona. It is also grown in the Red Mountain AVA of eastern Washington State.

Piquepoul blanc is being grown in Sonoma, California.[3]

Piquepoul blanc is also grown successfully in the Texas Hill Country AVA and Texas High Plains AVAs.

In Australia, Piquepoul blanc was first planted in 2013,[4] and the first commercial release of wine was in 2017. Cuttings of the variety were imported for the wine's suitability for drinking with oysters.[5]

Picpoul de Pinet

Picpoul de Pinet[6] is an AOC within the Languedoc AOC for white wines made exclusively from Piquepoul blanc in the communes of Pinet, Mèze, Florensac, Castelnau-de-Guers, Montagnac and Pomérols.[7]

The wines are green-gold in color, full-bodied, and show lemon flavours. They have a soft, delicate nose, with pleasant hints of acacia and hawthorn blossom.[8] Modernization of the winemaking has led to increased interest in these wines.[9]

Synonyms

Synonyms for Piquepoul blanc include Avello, Avillo, Extra, Feher Piquepoul, Languedocien, Picapoll, Picapolla, Picapulla, Picpoul, Picpoul de Pinet.[10]

Synonyms for Piquepoul gris include Avillo, Languedocien, Picapulla, Picpoul, Pikepul Seryi, Piquepoul rose, Szürke Piquepoul.[11]

Synonyms for Piquepoul noir include Avillo, Kek Piquepoul, Languedocien, Pical, Pical negro, Pical Polho, Picalpolho, Picapoll, Picapoll Negro, Picapouia, Picapouya, Picapulla, Picpouille, Picpoul, Picpoule, Picquepoul, Pikepul Chernyi, Pique Poule, Piquerette noire.[12]

Picpoul is also a synonym for the variety Folle blanche, which has no known relationship to Piquepoul.

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: Jancis Robinson . Jancis Robinson . . Third . Picpoul . 2006 . Oxford University Press . Oxford . 0-19-860990-6 . 524–525 .
  2. http://www.chateauneuf.dk/en/production/grapes.htm www.chateauneuf.dk: Grapes
  3. Web site: Stierch. Sarah. Wine time: Anaba Wines '15 Picpoul Blanc. Sonoma Valley Sun. 8 July 2016 . 8 July 2016.
  4. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/462923/130404-KH-First-Oyster-Wine-vine-planted.pdf MEDIA RELEASE: FIRST ‘OYSTER WINE’ VINES PLANTED IN AUSTRALIA
  5. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-29/oysters-and-wine-a-magnifique-combination/8997006 Oysters and wine a 'magnifique' combination for Australian grower taking a cue from the French
  6. Web site: AOC Picpoul de Pinet - Son terroir c'est la mer. AOC Picpoul de. Pinet. www.picpoul-de-pinet.com. 23 May 2019.
  7. Web site: Décret du 24 décembre 1985 modifié définissant les conditions de production des vins à appellation d'origine contrôlée « Languedoc » (à titre dérogatoire « Coteaux du Languedoc » peut être utilisé jusqu'au 3 mai 2012). www.inao.gouv.fr. 23 May 2019.
  8. Web site: AOC Picpoul de Pinet - The wine. AOC Picpoul de. Pinet. www.picpoul-de-pinet.com. 23 May 2019.
  9. Encyclopedia: Jancis Robinson . Jancis Robinson . . Third . Picpoul de Pinet . 2006 . Oxford University Press . Oxford . 0-19-860990-6 . 525 .
  10. http://www.vivc.de/datasheet/dataResult.php?data=9295 Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Piquepoul blanc
  11. http://www.vivc.de/datasheet/dataResult.php?data=9297 Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Piquepoul gris
  12. http://www.vivc.de/datasheet/dataResult.php?data=9298 Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Piquepoul noir