Hump Day: Pic Saint Loup

Ladies and Gentleman, we have a winner!  After 2 weeks of searching and drinking, we have found a way to pick a red wine we know we'll like.  You probably already know this, but I'll explain again that rather than classifying their wine by Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, etc., the French differentiate by appellation like Burgandy, Bordeaux, Rhône, etc.  Check out this map below from Wine-Tour France. Within Montpellier’s wine appellation, Coteaux de Languedoc, is a sub-appellation called Pic Saint Loup (pronounced "Pick-Sahn-Loo") and we are totally digging their wines. About 20 km inland from Montpellier and named after the Pic Saint Loup Mountain, these wines are mostly blends of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache.  They’re as full bodied and spicy as we’ve been able to find – just the way we like it!  The topography of mountain makes for cooler nights and this is what gives the wines their unique taste.  Right now, producers in this region are lobbying to be their own independent appellation AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee), a legality that would guarantee Pic Saint Loup produces wines of a certain quality and style in a certain geographical area.  From what I'm reading it's a work in progress but getting closer! Here are some of our favorite Pic Saint Loup wines we've tried so far:

Pic Saint Loup also produces Rosés and a few whites, so maybe we'll try those next.  For now, we've found our Red.

À bientôt!