DOMAINE PIQUEMAL IN PARIS

I’ve always enjoyed Pierre Piquemal’s wines, ever since my first visit to his cellars in the back streets of the Roussillon village, Espira d’Agly, some ten years ago. Over the years his wines have gently evolved, with Galatée and Pygmalion the newest additions to his range.

2008 Muscat Sec, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes - 5.85€
This is fresh and spicy, redolent of fresh, pithy Muscat with some bitter orange fruit, with a little body and weight resulting from lees stirring. Great for an apéro!

2008 Les Terres Grillées, Côtes du Roussillon blanc - 9.70€
Quite rounded and leesy, with a touch of oak and a slightly resinous note. You find the same characteristics on the palate, with some good acidity. Quite fresh and nutty on the finish. Another example of the dramatic improvement in white wines from the south.

2006 Côtes du Roussillon Tradition 7.15€
A blend of equal parts of Carignan, Grenache Noir and Syrah. Medium colour. Quite firm stony mineral notes on the nose. Rounded and ripe on the palate, but with that underlying minerality.

2006 Le Chant des Frères, Côtes du Roussillon - 8.05€
Again a blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Quite a stony mineral nose, developing riper berry characteristics. Ripe rounded spicy fruit on the palate, with a good backbone. Just the thing for a cold winter’s day – like London today.

2005 Les Terres Grillées, Côtes du Roussillon Villages – 9.35€
Grenache Noir 35%; old Carignan fermented by carbonic maceration 35% and 30% Syrah aged in oak. Good colour, with ripe spicy fruit on the nose. The touch of oak is nicely integrated, giving body and weight, but nothing more, so that the palate is ripe and rounded, and very satisfying.

2005 La Colline Oubliée, Côtes du Roussillon Villages - 9.35€
Aged in wood for 12 months – Mourvèdre 40%; Syrah 30%; Grenache Noir and old Carignan both 15%. Deep colour with firm, dense spicy notes on the nose and palate. A rounded substantial mouthful with some lovely spicy fruit.

2007 Galatée, Côtes du Roussillon Villages – 14.65€
Grenache Noir 70%; 25% Syrah and 5% Carignan, grown on schist, and fermented in vat. Unfiltered, so richly dense, rounded and ripe. A heady 14º.

2006 Pygmalion Côtes du Roussillon Villages – 14.65€
Syrah dominates here, at 70%, with Grenache 25% and 5% Carignan. Just 10% is aged in oak and the rest in vat. Deep colour. There are some sweet oaky notes on the nose, with a ripe rounded, almost sweet palate. To be honest, for my taste buds it was almost too much, to the extent that it lacked grip. Again a heady 14.5º.

Pierre also makes a fine range of Vin Doux Naturels which I had every intention of tasting at the end of day, but somehow that never happened. I finished the day at Aisle R and he was somewhere nearer Aisle A. Sorry Pierre.

Comments

I'm headed that way today! Going to taste at Calvet-Thunevin and Treloar. Should be fun!!

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