Bréchallune 2023 | La Croix Gratiot

Bréchallune is a white wine produced by La Croix Gratiot, a domaine located in Montagnac within the Bassin de Thau area of Languedoc-Roussillon, France. This 2023 vintage falls under the Picpoul de Pinet Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP). The winery is managed by Yves and Anaïs Ricôme, who practice biodynamic viticulture since 2016 and hold organic certification (AB) since 2021.

The vineyards are situated on a calcareous plateau characterized by clay-limestone soils, with a direct maritime influence from the Étang de Thau. Bréchallune is a cuvée parcellaire made exclusively from Piquepoul Blanc grapes. The harvest is conducted manually and deliberately timed to occur late in the season, a strategy employed to enhance grape concentration.

Vinification involves a blend of traditional and alternative vessels: thirty percent of the wine is made in stoneware (grès) amphorae and the remaining seventy percent in concrete vats. Following fermentation, the wine undergoes aging for five months on fine lees without any contact with oak wood. The resulting alcohol content is 13% by volume.

This approach highlights the terroir’s mineral structure and the variety’s natural acidity, shaped by the coastal climate and the clay-limestone soils of the plateau. The absence of oak allows the primary fruit characteristics and saline notes typical of Picpoul to remain unmasked, reflecting the producers' commitment to low-intervention winemaking in a region defined by its proximity to the sea.