2018 Two Shepherds Picpoul Blanc, Windmill Vineyard

 Region: Dunnigan Hills <Yolo County < California Grapes: PicpoulVineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic farming; gravelly alluvial soils; aged in 50% stainless steel, 50% neutral barrel for 8 months; bottled unfined/unfiltered with minimal added SO2; 150 cases; 11.4% ABVWinemaker: William Allen WHY IS THIS A UNICORN?  Picpoul (rare in Cali) that is varietally-correct (that acid!) and crushes the oyster pairing as well as its French cousin, with more complexity and less heat. William slings software by day, but his heart is in France. He was making wine in his garage and blogging about it, mostly Rhône varietals, for years before going pro with Two Shepherds, his two-person (and many animals) micro-winery. He works from purchased grapes, careful about organic, and models his wines on the French styles he loves, making tiny lots of old world, low-intervention bottlings from cool climate sites.  Like Picpoul, a varietal native to southern France whose name means ‘lip stinger’ (ref