Soif du Mal Rouge is a blend of Grenache 80% with Syrah. Carbonic maceration for twenty days, indigenous yeasts and no sulphur added The fruit come from north-by-northeast-facing vineyards that allow the grapes to ripen to full phenolic maturity without having excessive alcohol levels. Its excellent balance, combined with old-vine naturally low yields
DOMAINE DES FOULARDS ROUGE, JEAN-FRANCOIS NICQ,
Montesquieu des Alberes - Organic, natural
Jean-François Nicq took over the domaine in 2002. It was then ten hectares and he
planted a further two on beautiful schist and gneiss slopes. In his first year he began the
conversion to organic viticulture. In his previous job he vinified the wines at the co-op in
the Côtes-du-Rhône (Estezargues) where he worked without sulphur and maintained
this practice of natural winemaking at Foulards for his first vintage. The terroir is Les
Albères in the Pyrenées-Orientales, 10km from the sea and Collioure, where the
maritime influence brings the freshness that enables the wines to reach phenolic
maturity without excessive alcohol. The nor-nor –east exposition of the vines
compounds this character and finally the soils which make up this ancient granitic area bequeath a delicacy and elegance to the wines. The yields are kept low by the climatic conditions; successive droughts over the years have forced the vines to develop deep root systems to search for water and mineral nourishment.
Depending on the parcel the yields range from 5- 25hl/ha. Purity is the watchword here; the first thing you notice is the freshness of the wines, and, dare one say, some pretty juicy fruit.