Reference Picpoul de Pinet producer on the Bassin de Thau at Meze, owned by the Jourdan family since 1983 and run by female winemaker Claude Jourdan, regularly placed in the Decanter top-Picpoul tastings.
Signature wines: felines-jourdan-picpoul-classique, felines-jourdan-cuvee-particuliere, felines-jourdan-felinette
Tip: The basic Picpoul de Pinet is the gateway; the Cuvee Particuliere shows the upper-tier expression of the variety.
Address: Mas de Felines, 34140 Meze, France, Languedoc
Picpoul de Pinet and Languedoc estate at Montagnac inland from the Bassin de Thau, with both a single-variety Picpoul de Pinet and the cellar-aged Bronzinelle flagship.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Montagnac year-round
Signature wines: saint-martin-picpoul-de-pinet, saint-martin-bronzinelle, saint-martin-chateau-rouge
Tip: The Picpoul de Pinet is the appellation reference; Bronzinelle is the upper-tier Languedoc white that goes beyond the Picpoul style.
Picpoul specialist at Castelnau-de-Guers, the only estate vinifying Piquepoul in all three colours (Picpoul Blanc, Picpoul Gris and Picpoul Noir), housed in an 18th-century restored stable.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Castelnau-de-Guers by appointment
Signature wines: grangette-la-part-des-anges, grangette-l-enfant-terrible, grangette-blanc-bleu
Tip: La Part des Anges (oak-fermented Picpoul) is the connoisseur's bottle; the rare Picpoul Noir red is a curiosity worth tasting at the cellar.
Picpoul de Pinet estate at Castelnau-de-Guers less than 10 km from the Mediterranean, exporting widely to the UK, US and Canadian markets and one of the most-distributed Picpoul names on the international shelf.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Castelnau-de-Guers year-round
Signature wines: reine-juliette-picpoul-de-pinet, reine-juliette-terres-rouges
Tip: The basic Picpoul de Pinet is the export workhorse; the Terres Rouges Picpoul shows the cellar-aged style.
Picpoul de Pinet and Languedoc estate at Montagnac inland from the Bassin de Thau, with both a single-variety Picpoul de Pinet and the cellar-aged Bronzinelle flagship.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Montagnac year-round
Signature wines: saint-martin-picpoul-de-pinet, saint-martin-bronzinelle, saint-martin-chateau-rouge
Tip: The Picpoul de Pinet is the appellation reference; Bronzinelle is the upper-tier Languedoc white that goes beyond the Picpoul style.
Picpoul specialist at Castelnau-de-Guers, the only estate vinifying Piquepoul in all three colours (Picpoul Blanc, Picpoul Gris and Picpoul Noir), housed in an 18th-century restored stable.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Castelnau-de-Guers by appointment
Signature wines: grangette-la-part-des-anges, grangette-l-enfant-terrible, grangette-blanc-bleu
Tip: La Part des Anges (oak-fermented Picpoul) is the connoisseur's bottle; the rare Picpoul Noir red is a curiosity worth tasting at the cellar.
Picpoul de Pinet estate at Castelnau-de-Guers less than 10 km from the Mediterranean, exporting widely to the UK, US and Canadian markets and one of the most-distributed Picpoul names on the international shelf.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Castelnau-de-Guers year-round
Signature wines: reine-juliette-picpoul-de-pinet, reine-juliette-terres-rouges
Tip: The basic Picpoul de Pinet is the export workhorse; the Terres Rouges Picpoul shows the cellar-aged style.
Limoux estate founded in 2004 by Marie-Claire and Pierre Fort at Roquetaillade in the Aude valley south of Carcassonne, working still Limoux Chardonnay and Cremant de Limoux from the Pyrenean foothills.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Roquetaillade by appointment
Signature wines: mouscaillo-limoux-blanc, mouscaillo-cremant-de-limoux, mouscaillo-rouge
Tip: The still Limoux Chardonnay at altitude (Roquetaillade vines around 400 metres) cellars for 8 to 12 years; the Cremant is a smaller-production bottling.
Limoux family sparkling-wine house at Domaine de Flassian near Limoux, producing both Blanquette de Limoux (Mauzac-led) and Cremant de Limoux (Chardonnay-Chenin-Mauzac-Pinot Noir) under the Antech label.
Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting at the Flassian cellar Monday to Friday 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm
Signature wines: antech-cuvee-francoise, antech-cuvee-eugenie, antech-expression
Tip: Cuvee Francoise (Cremant) is the volume export; Cuvee Eugenie (Blanquette) is the traditional Mauzac sparkling that defines the appellation.
Limoux's largest sparkling-wine cooperative, founded in 1946 and now representing roughly 1,200 hectares of vineyard across 270 grower members, producing Blanquette de Limoux, Cremant de Limoux and the auction-only Toques et Clochers terroir-Chardonnay range.
Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting at the Limoux cooperative cellar year-round
Signature wines: sieur-darques-premiere-bulle, sieur-darques-toques-et-clochers-chardonnay, sieur-darques-aimery
Tip: The Toques et Clochers terroir series (auctioned annually in spring) is the cellar's prestige Chardonnay range; Premiere Bulle is the volume Cremant.
