Domaine Picaro’s

My Languedoc village is not particularly known for its wine, but happily not all is lost and there are nevertheless a couple of small producers, making some enjoyable wine.

I went to see Caroline Vioche, who has a small cellar in the village, and ten  hectares in several plots all around Roujan.   The advantage of scattered vines means that not all your crop will be affected by frost or hail.  In 2021 she only lost 50% to frost.  It could have been worse.   And her father-in-law who is now 90 years only experienced frost once in his wine making career.

Her very first vintage was 2007 and in 2014 they renovated the cellar, but not with anything too technical, just some cooling equipment and a new roof.   They needed to create a name and Picaro’s is an amalgam of her name and her husband Pierre.  

2022 Princesse - 14.80€

A blend of  60% Grenache blanc  and 40% Chardonnay.   Half the wine is fermented and aged in demi-muids.  Quite a dry oaky nose, with a streak of tannin on the palate, with a fresh finish.   There is some fruit, but at the moment the oak needs to settle down.  Caroline commented that there is no culture or tradition in the Languedoc for ageing white wines. 

2022 Eclosion, Pays d'Oc - 9.80€

Pure Carignan. Vines planted by Pierre’s grandfather in 1972. and the year of her birth.  Fermented in vat.   Medium colour.  Ripe fruit and spice on the nose and palate.  Quite elegant with a streak of tannin,  She did not want anything too extracted so it is a classic fermentation with a seven day maceration.

2021 Plurielle, Pézenas - 12.50€

A blend of Syrah and Grenache, but no longer any Carignan, which means that it can be AOP Pezenas.  Hand picked and destemmed and into the fermentation vat.  Some black fruit on the nose and hints of olives.  Medium weight, spicy and ripe and nicely mouth-filling, with supple tannins on the finish and satisfying length.  I liked this a lot.

2019 Amano, Pézenas - 26€

Again Syrah and Grenache.  Destemmed by hand, so that the berries remaining in tact.  It is not a carbonic maceration but there is some fermentation in the berries.  Four to six weeks on the skins and then a twenty month élevage in barrel.  Deep colour.  Quite solid rounded nose and palate.  Some underlying oak influence.  More weight, with good fruit and supple tannins.  A more serious glass of wine.

2012 Rosé, Côtes de Thongue - 8.00€

This is new.  Caroline had initially hesitated to make a rosé, but now has some old Cinsault vines.  Light colour. A fresh nose and palate.  Lightly rounded palate with quite a dry finish.  Caroline observed that 8.00€ was expensive for a Languedoc rosé, but even so she had none left for sale.

And when I asked her about any changes, or developments, she commented that people are drinking less….

And she also makes a vin doux which we did not taste, from Muscat à petits grains.  She said it was fairly dry as she did not want too much sugar, and with Vin de France, you can do what you like.  Once upon a time everyone in the village made a little wine, and usually from Muscat.  That was before the cooperative was founded, before the Second World War.