12.27.2011

wine of the night: 2009 Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup 'Tour de Pierres'



A natural, unfiltered wine grown biodynamically, this Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre blend drinks well and a great value at only $18. The three brother operation at Ermitage de Pic Saint Loup has been biodynamic since 1999 and their goal is to show the terrior of their high altitude Languedoc vineyards through their wines. Ermitage makes five wines, this blend labelled as Tour de Pierres. Its bright and balanced, and shows especially well when paired with food. I found it delicious with roasted tomatoes over fried polenta and goat cheese!


It's always surprising to me how people respond to the conversation of biodynamic wines. As a sustainability consultant by day and simply a person who prefers natural over heavily processed, it's an obvious choice for me. I also find these wines more interesting- both in the glass and the story behind the bottle. But so many people either dismiss the notion of natural wine as nonsense (usually condescendingly) or they simply don't understand the various terms and meanings behind 'organic/natural/biodynamic.' Perhaps thats a blog post for other time! But for now, let me leave you with this. If you want to venture into the biodynamic wine world, start with this Tour de Pierres, why not!? It's not a funky wine, just a great Syrah blend. You'll feel great that the guys behind this wine are making sure that you drink great wine without added acids, no artificial yeasts, and no harmful pesticides or fertilizers.

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