I have written before about the ubiquitous nature of supermarket Picpoul de Pinet: ‘ubiquitous’ because they pretty much all stock the identical wine from the same co-operative producer, but with a different label. In April this year I wrote this – Picpoul de Pinet 2019 – Tesco Finest – Update – A Time for Wine. I bought a few bottles of Picpoul recently when Tesco had their 25% off promotion. We opened one to go with salmon & new potatoes and I immediately noticed a difference – a floral note! A glance at the bottle revealed the subtlest of changes – the label no longer has ‘Les Costieres de Pomerols’ – the large co-op I mentioned earlier – but now reads ‘Maison de Sud’. I know nothing about them and couldn’t really find out much either. Tesco kept this quiet… Was it any good? It was noticeably different and I liked it; a floral note added a little complexity. Opinion however, was divided – my tasting partner preferred the old one…

Tasting notes: Initial nose of green apples, citrus… and a floral note!? Fresh & refreshing. Green apples and lemon, lime and white flower notes. Balanced acidity, this wine works best with food. Short finish, little intensity, a little more complexity than previously. Good summer drinking.

Region of Origin – Languedoc, Southern France
Wine Colour – White
Price – £7.50 currently £6.50 BUY!
Where do I get it from? – Tesco.
Current Vintage – 2019
Producer – Maison de Sud
Type of Closure – Screwcap
Grape – 100% Picpoul (or Piquepoul… or Picapoll)

Verdict– Good wine for the money

Food Pairings: Winter Salmon & crushed new potatoes.