Pic Saint-Loup

Lovers of Pic Saint Loup wines will find all the qualities and characteristics of the grape variety in the many vintages on sale on our site, including Château Puech-Haut, Mas Bruguière, Domaine de l'Hortus, Château de Lancyre and Domaine Clos Marie. 

Since 2016, thePic Saint-Loup appellation protected designation of origin (AOP). Production takes place in 13 communes in the Hérault and Gard departments, covering 1,200 hectares: Cazevielle, Claret, Corconne, Fontanès, Lauret, Les Matelles, Sainte-Croix-de-Quintillargues, Saint-Gély-du-Fesc, Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles, Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers, Sauteyrargues, le Triadou and Valflaunès.

Geography and characteristics of Pic Saint Loup

The appellation Pic Saint Loup is located in the former Languedoc-Roussillon, now known as Occitanie, in the north-east of the Hérault department, some 20 km from Montpellier and 30 km from the Mediterranean Sea. It covers twelve communes in the Hérault department: Cazevielle, Le Triadou, Les Matelles, Saint-Gély-du-Fesc, Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles, Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers and Sainte-Croix-de-Quintillargues in the canton of Les Matelles; Claret, Fontanès, Lauret, Sauteyrargues and Valflaunès in the canton of Claret; and Corconne in the neighboring Gard department. 

Situated in the foothills of the Cévennes Massif, some thirty kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea, the Pic Saint-Loup vineyards benefit from a Mediterranean climate. The vineyards are planted between the Pic Saint-Loup (650 meters above sea level) and the Causse de l'Hortus (510 meters above sea level), on predominantly limestone soil. The terrain is subject to marked temperature variations during grape ripening. In summer, the days are often very hot and the nights cool. 

Its unique climate blends Mediterranean features with the continental Cévennes, with cool springs preceding hot, dry summers, and cold, rainy autumns and winters. In fact, Pic Saint Loup is the Languedoc region with the highest rainfall. The soils are rich and varied: soft and hard limestone, river scree, dolomite and marl. They are the allies of local rainfall, able to retain and properly irrigate the vines all year round, sparing them from hydric stress. 

Visit syrah is the main grape variety of the appellation Pic Saint LoupGrenache (black and gray) and Mourvèdre. Other grape varieties may be added to the blends: carignan, cinsault, counoise, morrastel. Red and rosé wines are always made with a minimum of two grape varieties, mostly blended around the texture and rich aromatics of Syrah. Depending on the cuvée, red wines can be kept for several years, while rosés are best drunk within the year. Notable estates include the historic Château de Lancyre, run since 1995 by Régis Valentin in Valflaunès; Clos Marie, biodynamically managed by Françoise Julien and Christophe Peyrus, also since 1995; and Domaine de l'Hortus, run for over a quarter of a century by the Orliac family, located between the Pic Saint Loup and Hortus mountains.

Food and wine pairing

Between the white, rosé and red wines offered by the appellation Pic Saint LoupWhen it comes to matching food and wine, whether as an aperitif or with a meal, the choice is vast. Regional pairings are always a good idea, such as a young red Pic Saint Loup served with a Carcassonne cassoulet, or a white Pic Saint Loup with a Pic cendré pavé.