WINE OF THE WEEK: Les Filets Côtes de Thau Piquepoul & Terret 2023, Languedoc, France

£8 on offer, Waitrose Cellar

If you like Picpoul de Pinet, that zingy dry white from vineyards just inland from the Mediterranean, you’ll love Les Filets Côtes de Thau. And if you like a wine bargain – who doesn’t? – you’ll like it even more at £8, instead of £10.

It’s pale, bright, faintly greenish and as cool and lively as a sea breeze with delicate quince, meadow flower and pear flavours and a refreshing lemon-grapefruit finish.

It’s made by the eco-friendly Les Vignerons de Florensac in Côtes de Thau, an IGP (ex Vin de Pays) that overlaps the better known Picpoul de Pinet appellation around the Étang de Thau, and it’s a blend of half and half Piquepoul Blanc and Terret, another local white grape variety that keeps its refreshing acidity in the Mediterranean heat. I say ‘white’ but it comes in black and gris (pinkish) versions, too.

The vineyards are HVE3-certified (Haute Valeur Environnmentale level 3) and everything is done to retain to the grapes’ aromas and freshness and to bring just enough roundness to the wine, including night harvesting when temperatures are lower, cooling of the juice and ageing on, and stirring of, fines lees for three months.

Like Picpoul de Pinet, Les Filets Côtes de Thau 2023 is a winner with oysters, but there’s no need to wait for the oyster season. There are plenty of aperitif hours to enjoy it in in the meantime, and maybe a shellfish platter or two, a bowl of mussels, a simple white fish dish, some sushi, a mozzarella and tomato salad or a Greek salad. Or what about a summer party? And if you're vegan, all well and good; so is the wine. 12%. Empty bottle weight: 420g.

Les Filets Côtes de Thau Piquepoul & Terret 2023, Languedoc, France

£8 on offer until 29 July 2025, then £10, Waitrose Cellar

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