Centenary Grenache

Planted in 1919, our 100-year-old Grenache is located near the village of Gruissan in the place known as “Penelos”, “Les penelles”, on the oriental part of present-day Island “Saint Martin”, facing Gruissan salt flats.

On a clay-limestone soil swept by the wind, most of the centenary Grenache vines plants are laid-down anarchically on the ground, as if over time, living the hard constraints of this place, each vines plants had found its place.

The vine is “complantée” as we say in France, this is an old way to plant vines that allows to blend white and red varietals in the same parcel, this is very common for very old estates from southern France and Spain.

Here, we have mostly Red Grenache, with randomly about 10% white Grenache, and a few vine plants of Carignan (one or two, no more), the whole, about 40 ares, is picked up by hand, no mechanization being possible.

Winemaking starts with whole-bunch fermentation in the ovoid tanks with indigenous yeasts present naturally on grains surface, then the wine ages 4 to 6 months before bottling, in the eggs, enjoying a slow and controlled micro-oxygenation, very few interventions therefore, during the making of this wine.

Our Grenache develops singular aromas, discrete, but without losing strength, combining roasted coffee and chocolate notes, held by a very delicate, airy, almost Loire-like structure, which reminds wines from northern vineyards.