Le Pic Saint Loup

Living as we do in the flat lands near the Mediterranean coast of the eastern Languedoc, the dramatic southern outpost of the Cevennes, the twin outcrops of the Pic Saint Loup and l'Hortus, are visible almost everywhere. Near the coast you see them on clear mornings by the Canal du Rhône à Sète, crouching on the horizon across the wild marshy country of l'Etang d'Or, the grander hills of the true Cevennes just visible beyond.

A little further north, in the vineyards just above Lunel and from the nearby A9 Autoroute, they provide a backdrop and hint at the great wines produced in their shadow.

But you begin to get a sense of the drama of the Pic, l'Hortus and the valley between as you drive west out of Sommières on the D1 through St Matthieu de Treviers towards the pretty and tortuous village of Notre Dame de Londres. All along the road are glimpses of the twin peaks.

Then suddenly you are much closer. The names of famous vineyards of the Pic Saint Loup appellation (still part of the overall Languedoc one, but the vignerons there relegate that to the small print) line the road and you find yourself dramatically between the rocks. They are hard to capture in photographs - trees and nearer hills keep obscuring the view, but here are a couple of pictures which make the link to the all-important vineyards.