Ormarine Carte Noire Picpoul de Pinet 2023 (Southwest) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a delicious Picpoul that is brand-new to the LCBO, arriving as part of last weekend's September 7 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Cave de l'Ormarine, a well-known co-operative winery located in the Languedoc of southern France. Its story begins in 1922, when a group of winegrowers in the town of Pinet gathered together in the spirit of solidarity and formed a winegrowers' association. However, the story of Pinet goes back much further - 2000 years.

It all started in the year 118 B.C., when a Roman General Domitius Aheobarbus built a military road across Gaul to link the Italian Peninsula to the Iberic Peninsula. The famous via Domitia went across the vineyards of Pinet and opened the path for the wine trade and promoted the expansion of the vineyards. The historical grape variety Picpoul, also known as Piquepoul, was first quoted in 1618 by the famous botanist J.B. Magnol in his book and called it one of the six best-known grape varieties of Languedoc.

Fast-forward to 1922, and the 53 winegrowers of Pinet came together officially to enhance the white wine produced from the terroirs of Pinet. Ets Noilly Prat of Marseillan bought all the wines produced at the cellar and was responsible for the marketing and sales of the wines. In 1985, after several long years of investment to improve the quality of their wines and create brand awareness at both the national and international level, the producers of Cellar Ormarine were able to get Picpoul de Pinet classified as an AOC and joined the large family of AOC Côteaux du Languedoc. Even though the Languedoc region is mostly known for its blends, the appellation of AOC Picpoul de Pinet is dedicated solely to dry white production and permits the use of only one single grape variety - Picpoul.

In 1992, the co-operative cellar celebrated its 70th anniversary and re-introduced itself to the market as Ormarine. In 2008, the cellar merged with the Cooperative Cellar of Villeveyrac, allowing them to produce more wine, and gave birth to its new and current name - SCA Cave de l'Ormarine. In 2013, the Cooperative Cellar of Cournonterral joined Ormarine, which allows Ormarine to produce wines from a wide variety of appellations and grape varieties. In 2017, two more mergers occurred, bringing together 470 united coopérators operating more than 2,500 hectares of vines.

With "Terroir Discovery" their slogan, Ormarine benefits with access to grapes from a wide area extending from the Cévennes to the Mediterranean to produce high-quality wines. These grapes benefit from the maritime influence of the Etang de Thau, as well as the limestone clay and red sandstone soils. In Pinet, which is situated just north of Etang de Thau, the terroir is mainly composed of limestone clay soils, while its proximity to the Lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea plays a role in regulating and reducing temperature variations. The Marin, Tramontane, and Mistral winds also help keep the vines healthy and reduce disease pressure. Omarine is also committed to nature and the environment, as they embarked on a path to organic viticulture in 2011. Furthermore, in 2018, Ormarine obtained Terra Vitis certification, which highlights sustainable and integrated winegrowing.

This white wine is crafted using the Picpoul grape varietal that was grown in the AOP Picpoul de Pinet appellation, within the Languedoc region of southern France. This 100% Picpoul de Pinet was grown on homogeneous limestone clay soils that open out to the sea. After undergoing plot selection in the vineyard, the grapes were harvested at night, then underwent another round of selection upon arriving at the winery. The grapes underwent a cold, pre-fermentary maceration, followed fermentation at low temperature, and then matured in thermo-regulated vats. The wine was then filtered and bottled at the estate. From a challenging year of extremes, let's see how this 2023 Picpoul de Pinet is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ORMARINE CARTE NOIRE PICPOUL DE PINET 2023 - AP, Southwest, France (#38396) (XD) - $14.95
Screw cap enclosure. This Picpoul de Pinet has an attractive, medium+ to medium-high intensity nose that offers ripe apple, lemon citrus, white floral, and orchard fruit aromas with hints of limestone minerality and white spice. It's light-to-medium bodied on the dry palate with slightly honeyed flavours of apple, white-fleshed orchard fruit, lemon citrus, and white pepper spice notes which are supported by refreshing, saliva-inducing, and food-friendly acidity. It's nicely textured, a touch creamy, with stony mineral and spice notes appearing on the mid-palate. Stony mineral notes linger on the long-lasting, savoury finish. Ideal with seafood and a recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other delicious wines by Ormarine can be ordered through their Agent - Eurovintage Wines & Spirits.