Winemaker Notes
"Picpoul" translates to "lip stinger." It is a high acid, savory, white, rustic grape variety, especially well-suited for seafood.
Blend: 90% Picpoul, 10% Grenache Blanc
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Bonny Doon Vineyard Picpoul stands out as one of the "coolest" American white wines and one that is off the beaten track. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of dried savory spices, earth, and tart fruit. Enjoy it with a bowl of steamed mussels and clams in a light garlic broth. (Tasted: February 21, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
Picpoul remains one of the few wines in France named for the grape more than the place; Picpoul de Pinet refers to the white wines made exclusively from the grape called Piquepoul Blanc in the Languedoc communes of Pinet, Mèze, Florensac, Castelnau-de-Guers, Montagnac and Pomérols. Confusingly, the spelling, Piquepoul, can be used for the variety in all other appellations except for those named above. The grape is ubiquitous throughout the Languedoc. Somm Secret—Pomérols is a commune in the Languedoc-Rousillon region in the south of France and has nothing to do with the Bordeaux village of virtually the same name, Pomerol.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.