This is my favorite sub-$15 white wine in the store, and it's also a richer and riper take on Picpoul, which can often be light and high-toned. That's why it's a great winter white!
It's still definitely dry and crisp, but there's good concentration and texture along with a perfect interplay of ripe fruit, zesty acids, and salty minerality. All in all, it's a ton of wine for the money.
2024 La Chapelle Du Bastion Picpoul de Pinet
Team Table Wine's Favorite Sub-$15 White Wine!
Picpoul is one of the most important white wines of France's warm and sunny Languedoc zone. The key virtue of the grape is its ability to retain freshness and vivaciousness in hot Mediterranean zones. The new vintage from La Chapelle du Bastion is outstanding, and if you've never had Picpoul, this would be a great place to start.
I've been drinking Picpoul for over 20 years now, and the grape usually yields clean and crisp whites perfect for washing down oysters and mussels. This one is ideal for that, but it's got a lot more going on than most of its peers. While those in the know about Picpoul might think it's best for summer, I think Chapelle du Bastion's version is versatile for all seasons.
If you've ever wondered what I drink at home on weeknights, this is it. Actually, all members of Team Table Wine love it, and we recommend it often. From the village of Pinet, within a stone’s throw of the Mediterranean, it's our pick for the best all-around white wine value in the shop.
The aromas and flavors lean towards ripe citrus, golden apple, peach, and melon, and this has a nice backbone of acidity that makes it perfect for washing down mussels, shrimp, and other creatures of the sea.
Give this one a shot, and I bet many of you will make it your new house white. To do it true justice, I recommend enjoying with shrimp curry, sushi, or roasted salmon and root veggies.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
