The Benau family got started in the 80's on  a 16th century fortified farmhouse in the south of France.  Predominantly they worked as farmers and sold all their grapes to the local co-op. In 1999, when their young daughter Julie returned home, she recognized the quality of the fruit and encouraged them to start making their own wine. With Julie at the helm they have continued to increase the sustainability of their practices and their production, now using the majority of their grapes to make estate wines.

Picpoul de Pinet is an appellation in front of the bay of Thau, near Montpellier. The vineyards are planted only with Picpoul - which comes from “pique poul” meaning “lip stinger” due to the high acidity in the grapes.  The land is rich with rocky soil, sunny hillsides and humid ocean breezes. All great for encouraging slow ripening and deep fruit to balance the grapes acidity.

This is Julie’s flagship wine that is made from 100% Picpoul Blanc. Thanks to extended lees aging, the wine has a good body and round texture while retaining a “lip-smacking” acidity. Saline minerality from the mediterranean sea, ripe orchard fruits, under-ripe tropical fruits, and tea leaves gives the wine complexity and dimension. As far as food pairing, you can’t go wrong with oysters, shellfish, fish stew, and grilled vegetables.

*A diagram of an oyster’s anatomy on this label is taken from an old children’s school textbook from the region.