"With a ripe, pretty nose of pear and baked apples, this wine has a lovely frothy mousse and plenty of yellow and green apples on the palate. It is soft and fruity, with a lovely ripe lemon acidity"
Cave de l'Ormarine is an award-winning co-operative which produces wines from the tiny Pinet de Picpoul appellation in the Hérault. The Ormarine cellar was established in 1922 when vignerons from Pinet joined forces and formed a winegrowers' association. Today, the Cave de l'Ormarine is a conglomeration of five separate co-operatives from across the Hérault, each with their own specific terroirs and styles of wine. It is proud to have 470 members farming more than 2,500 hectares of vines, making them the largest producer in the appellation.
Its flagship Picpoul wines are fresh and terroir-driven, and hugely influenced by both the Mediterranean Sea and the Etang de Thau, which act as a thermal regulator for the vineyards. In fact, it is said of Picpoul that, "Son terroir, c'est la mer (Its terroir is the sea).
Cave de l'Ormarine has made significant investment in its winery, and prides itself on the high quality standard and traceability of its grapes.
Grown on southern slopes overlooking tidal sea lakes which create a microclimate which moderates weather and encourages cooler breezes to pass through. The Piquepoul grape is native to southern France where, even this far south, can yield fruit with high acidity that is perfect for sparkling wines. There are two theories as to the meaning of the word ‘piquepoul’ – the first translation is ‘lip stinger’ which is the effect of the high acidity of the grape; the second refers to the hens (‘poul’) in the vineyards pecking/lancing (‘picque’) the low hanging grapes. The soil around this area is chalky with a high fossil and quartz content. Produced using the principles of 'agriculture raisonnée', this has been made with the traditional method. Classified as a 'VMQS', it has undergone a second fermentation in bottle before ageing on its lees for at least 9 months.
