• Home
  • Beer
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Select Six
  • Collector's Cellar
  • Insider's Pick
Wine Warehouse
  • Home
  • Beer
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Select Six
  • Collector's Cellar
  • Insider's Pick

INSIDER'S PICK: NV THOMAS PICO CHARDONNAY VIN DE FRANCE $21.99

11/2/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Above everything else, wine is a crop, born from the labor of farmers and subject to both the good and bad conditions that Mother Nature may dole out each year. The last few years have thrown out more than a few curveballs in many of the world's great winegrowing regions, some inconvenient and others downright cruel. Those issues will color the backdrop of many wines found in the store and featured here over the next few years. Thomas Pico is the owner/winemaker of Chablis house Domaine Pattes Loup, a young but emerging producer that has spent the previous decade developing his family's small estate into an international success. Chablis has always been vulnerable to weather issues because of its position so far North, and 2016 was the first of what turned out to be a back to back double whammy of extremely difficult vintages. Quality had been very good in 2015, but certain issues during that year caused the vines to produce fewer grapes in 2016, greatly limiting the volume. Pico sought out to find fruit elsewhere in France that he could source to make a supplemental wine using Chardonnay that still measured up to his stringent organic/biodynamic principles. He found some in the sparkling wine region of Limoux in the Languedoc, and made what was intended to be a one-time offering, but based on the widespread frost issues of 2017 in France may be necessary next year as well.

Perhaps it's the power of suggestion and having the phrase 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade' in mind, but the aromas are all lemon zest and stone fruits. You don't get that layer of seashell and mineral tone that comes from Chablis famous Kimmeridgian limestone soils, but the cool windswept region of Limoux does provide a bright acidity that one wouldn't expect from the Languedoc. Lots of roundness on the palate from minimal filtration, and the absence of oak allow the bright character to show through as vigorously as possible. While this isn't a wine to make you forget about Chablis, it definitely shows a Chablis maker's hand was used to craft it, and will help to scratch the itches due to come up over the next few years when wines of this price and quality will be so hard to find.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The Best of the Best. 

    We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday,  and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try!

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Beer
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Select Six
  • Collector's Cellar
  • Insider's Pick