Pic Saint-Loup

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The appellation area encompasses 17 communes dominated by the limestone massif of the Pic Saint-Loup, in the north-east of the Hérault département.
• The soils derive mainly from Lower Cretaceous and Upper Jurassic formations, with Tertiary deposits of marls, sandstones, and conglomerates at the southern end of the zone.
• Soils develop predominantly on an alternation of soft limestone beds and marls, with additional soils on black marls or on alluvial fans.
• The landscape is characterised by a succession of ridges and combes oriented south-west/north-east to west/east, together with basins of karstic origin, with no significant watercourse or broad valley.
• The classified vineyard area extends from 80 to more than 300 metres above sea level, with a mean altitude of around 150 metres, most often on flat terraces or gentle slopes.
• This is one of the coolest terroirs in the Languedoc vineyard, with a mean temperature of 12.3 °C and a marked diurnal temperature range in August and September.
• It is also one of the wettest terroirs, with mean annual rainfall of between 900 and 1,000 millimetres, concentrated around the spring and autumn equinoxes, which limits vine stress during dry periods.

• The Pic Saint-Loup vineyard has been present since Roman times, as attested by the etymology of place names throughout the region.
• Certain current estates have been passed down from generation to generation since the seventeenth century, alongside more recent creations.
• The higher rainfall of the area has led growers to choose a higher average planting density than in the rest of the Languedoc appellation.

• The red wines display a garnet colour with aromas of red fruits and liquorice dominating the nose and palate, and a framework of fine tannins.
• The rosé wines have a medium to pale colour intensity, are fresh and lively, with a round attack and dominant notes of small red fruits, consistent with the raspberry and strawberry aromas noted elsewhere.

• The diurnal temperature ranges of August and September shape the vegetative cycle of the vine and contribute to the expression of fine, fresh aromas in the wines.
• The cool-night index favourably influences the synthesis of aromatic precursors and anthocyanins, accounting for the garnet colour and tannic structure of the red wines as well as the freshness on the palate of the rosé wines.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 31 janvier 2017, JORF 2 février 2017,
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVL