Notify me
2016 Languedoc Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup
Pierre Ravaille and his brothers Jean-Marc and Xavier (represented by the cool three-fish logo on the label) are the men behind this storied Languedoc domaine on the slopes of the Pic Saint Loup. Their family has owned this property for more than a thousand years. Tour de Pierres is a bottle that captures all of the soil types represented in their landholdings—a “tour of their stones,” if you will. Thanks to biodynamic viticulture combined with high-altitude vineyards (cool evening temperatures and winds even in summer), the Ravaille brothers’ wine is refreshing and vibrant despite its southerly roots. This bottling represents one of the best values, pound for pound, in our entire book.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre |
Appellation: | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup |
Winemaker: | Xavier, Pierre, and Jean-Marc Ravaille |
Vineyard: | 30 years, 8 ha |
Soil: | Red Clay |
Aging: | Aged in foudres and barriques for 12 months of which only 10-20% are new oak |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2019 Faugères “Valinière”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Valinière is a monumental demonstration of what happens when respectfully working the earth is not just a job, but one’s whole life.

2018 Vin de France “Grenache Oxydatif”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
At once similarly saline and nutty as vin jaune or sherry, but also singular and standalone in its notes of watermelon flesh and rind.

2020 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.

2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Evokes citrus rind, herbs, and sea spray and boasts all of the freshness of a Mediterranean breeze.

2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
One of the great reds of the Languedoc. Rhône Valley, look out!

2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Cebenna”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Generous and floral, with fragrant hints of lavender, purple fruit, and brambly garrigue.

2024 Saint-Chinian Rosé
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This Languedoc beauty could easily be taken for its Provençal cousin—that is, until you see the price tag.

2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This wine is full of fresh Grenache fruit, beautifully perfumed, with a refined and elegant finish.

2019 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.

2022 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Jurassic limestone soil and high elevation lieu-dit where the name “Montmajou” springs from lend this blanc a lean elegance.
About The Producer
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup
About The Region
Languedoc-Roussillon
Ask wine drinkers around the world, and the word “Languedoc” is sure to elicit mixed reactions. On the one hand, the region is still strongly tied to its past as a producer of cheap, insipid bulk wine in the eyes of many consumers. On the other hand, it is the source of countless great values providing affordable everyday pleasure, with an increasing number of higher-end wines capable of rivaling the best from other parts of France.
While there’s no denying the Languedoc’s checkered history, the last two decades have seen a noticeable shift to fine wine, with an emphasis on terroir. Ambitious growers have sought out vineyard sites with poor, well draining soils in hilly zones, curbed back on irrigation and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and looked to balance traditional production methods with technological advancements to craft wines with elegance, balance, and a clear sense of place. Today, the overall quality and variety of wines being made in the Languedoc is as high as ever.
Shaped like a crescent hugging the Mediterranean coast, the region boasts an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates depending on elevation, exposition, and relative distance from the coastline and the cooler foothills farther inland. While the warm Mediterranean climate is conducive to the production of reds, there are world-class whites and rosés to be found as well, along with stunning dessert wines revered by connoisseurs for centuries.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
2023 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2016 Vin de France Vieux Ronsard
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Corbières Rouge “La Démarrante”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Sortilège”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2024 Corbières Rosé “Métisse”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2016 Vin de France Vieux Ronsard
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Corbières Rouge “La Démarrante”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Sortilège”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2024 Corbières Rosé “Métisse”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.