Blanc 'Pique Poule' Opi D'Aqui 2021

"Pique Poule" by Opi d'Aqui represents Opi d'Aqui's interpretation of a great classic among the varietals of southern France by iconoclastic vigneron Philippe Formentin. The term Piquepoul, which can also be found in the Anglo-Saxon designation Picpoul, refers precisely to what is expressed by the graphics on the label: a chicken pecking at grains. Since it cannot bear the indication of the variety, this wine without appellation is christened with an amusing variation on the name.

"Pique Poule" is a creation of Opi d'Aqui made from the vinification of Piquepoul in purity, the legendary variety of the French Mediterranean coast and in particular precisely of the areas around the town of Sète, lying above a thin tongue of land between the sea and the salt pond of Thau, in the Herault department. The approximately 1-hectare vineyard is located in the village of Pinet, practically at sea level, and has soil with a characteristic clay-limestone composition: the climate, dry and breezy, benefits from moisture inputs from Mediterranean breezes and from the freshwater reservoir formed by Lake Salagou. The grapes are raised under a certified organic system and with the further use of biodynamic farming principles: they are harvested by hand in small 10-kilo crates and pressed directly once they arrive at the winery. Fermentation is spontaneous and takes place solely through the work of indigenous yeasts. Aging involves a period of 6 months on the fine lees: 50% in used oak barrels, the other half in steel tanks. Bottling is carried out without any manipulation and with homeopathic additions of sulfites, if necessary.

"Pique Poule" Blanc by Opi d'Aqui has a deep straw yellow color, shaded by golden highlights. The nose expresses all the essential characteristics of the origin grapes: the citric fruitiness of citrus, with recognizable notes of orange and grapefruit, and a softer white floral, with the penetrating aromas of jasmine. The sip is a clear and very pleasant confirmation of the varietal: a medium-bodied structure well balanced between the ripeness of the fruit and the distinct notes of marine freshness, which lengthen into a particularly saline finish. An example of a year-round drinking white, traditionally to be paired with oysters or the typical "tielle de poulpe sètoise," a kind of crusted octopus.