Domaine Reine Juliette, 'Mas des Palombes' Picpoul Noir, 2024

'One-Liner'
A bright, lightly built southern French red with pomegranate, raspberry and a lovely stony freshness.

Tasting Note
Pale ruby in the glass. The nose is floral and spicy, with red fruits to the fore. On the palate it is light-bodied and dry, with pomegranate and raspberry fruit, high acidity, light tannin and a wet-stone edge that gives it real character. Smooth, perfumed and best served with a little coolness.

Country: France
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Sub-Region: Vin de France
Grape(s): 100% Picpoul Noir
ABV: 13%
Friendly: Vegan, Vegetarian, Sustainable

Awards & Critics' Scores
n/a

The Story
Picpoul Noir is the dark-skinned relative of Picpoul Blanc and is still a real rarity, with very little of it left in southern France. That makes this a genuinely unusual bottle: a light red from the Languedoc made from a variety most people will never have tried on its own. At Reine Juliette, six generations of the Alliès family have worked the same land near the Mediterranean, and this wine feels very much of that setting – sunlit, breezy and full of easy southern charm.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Grilled sardines with lemon and parsley
- Vegetarian: Courgette and ricotta fritters with a lemon-dressed salad
- Vegan: Smoky aubergine, black bean and lime rice bowl