About this WINE
Domaine Felines Jourdan
Domaine Felines was bought by the Jourdan family in 1983. It is situated at Mèze, near the "Bassin de Thau" in the Languedoc. There are 40 hectares of vines and the Jourdans immediately began a replanting programme using improved varieties.
Les Romarins is a blend of 55% Syrah and 45% Grenache and is deeply coloured with a palate packed with dark, ripe fruits and a fine, tannic structure.
Picpoul de Pinet was first produced at the domaine in 1992 and is a fascinating wine. The Picpoul is an old-fashioned southern grape, which has long been due a comeback. It produces fresh, dry, whites with hints of citrus fruits, pears and fennel, buttressed by a crisp backbone of acidity.
Picpoul
Picpoul can trace its history back to the 17th century when, along with Clairette, it was the basis of the then hugely popular Picardan that was exported from the Languedoc to Northern Europe. Its plantings dwindled after the onslaught of phylloxera at the end of the 19th century as growers resorted to hardier and more disease resistant grapes.
Picpoul Noir is one of the 13 permitted grape varieties for Châteauneuf-du-Pape but in practise is rarely used - by 1990 there were a mere 200 hectares of Picpoul Noir vines left in France.
Picpoul Blanc has fared better, being the grape behind Picpoul de Pinet, one of the named Crus of Côteaux du Languedoc. It produces crisp, citrussy wines with subtle mineral and nutty overtones. Domaine Felines Jourdan is one of the best producers in Pinet.
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Description
The presence of a Picpoul de Pinet on the wine list of a fish restaurant is good news for two reasons: firstly because the wine should offer superb value for money, and secondly because it is indicative of the quality of the establishment. Félines Jourdan is seen as the best producer of all; the wine is astonishingly complex and food friendly, especially to seafood.
The Basin De Thau is located to the South-West of Montpellier, on the road to Béziers. The etymology of the grape variety gives a clue to the style; ‘pique’ implying the crispness and firmness, ‘poule’, rather more tangentally, hinting at soft and maternal qualities. This Mediterranean appellation, with its beautiful countryside and fantastic wild-life has forged a strong reputation for this variety, in some ways similar to the Albarino in Galicia.
Made under anaerobic conditions, the wine has fine colouring with hints of green. It boasts a spicy and floral nose, distinctive with echoes of gunflint, aniseed and fennel. En bouche, the wine has crisp but balanced acidity, mineral notes and a surprisingly broad texture.The 2012 is a marriage of oyster shell, pebbles and almost a hint of honey. The wine is an unbeatable match for fruits de mer, grilled fish and, when in season, asparagus.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
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