Notify me
2018 Languedoc Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Ermitage du Pic Saint LoupPierre 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: | 2018 |
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
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Its peachy-pink hue hints at what’s to come: orchard fruits and brambly wild berries, grapefruit and wet slate after a summer rain! A staple wine I can’t live without.
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Evaporation over time has concentrated the wine, giving it considerable strength to go with its trademark rancio aromas of walnuts and brine.
2020 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
February Club Rouge ~ Proof that a great site and honest farming are key to genuine, long-lived wines.
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Shows a kinship with the northern Rhône, echoing aromas of black olive and violets.
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.
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.
2021 Corbières Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
February Club Gourmand ~ The accents of herbal garrigue and vineyard stones offer just enough earthy terroir to counterbalance the chewy black fruit and mouth-coating wild brambleberry, making this bargain red the right bottle to uncork at any which moment.
2019 Faugères
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Simultaneously rustic and graceful, dark and light on its feet, this red shows succulent notes of mixed red and black fruit, spices, and leather.
Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
With its aromas of toasted almonds and butterscotch, the resulting bone-dry wine is nothing short of enthralling.
2022 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A stony, spicy cuvée full of Mediterranean sunshine, aromatic garrigue, and a hint of salinity that offers a perfect match for grilled rosemary lamb chops.
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
2021 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “L'Estrade”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “La Pinède”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “L'Estrade”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “La Pinède”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211