Côtes Catalanes blanc "Soula" 2017 - Le Soula (BD & vin nature)

• Country / Region: France / Fenouillèdes (Côte de Roussillon)
• Grape variety: 49% Sauvignon Blanc, 23% Vermentino, 14% Grenache Blanc, 12% Macabeu, 2% Grenache Gris, Malvoisie du Roussillon, Marsanne and Rousanne
• In the vineyard: granite terroir. Orchards located between 350 and 600 meters altitude, between 25 and 62 years old. Biodynamic farming. Picked by hand.
• In the cellar: Pressing of whole bunches, 3 days maceration on the grape must at a temperature of 5-7 degrees Celsius. Only the use of own yeasts. Maturation for 22 months, 60% on 500L demi-muids, 28% on new oak barrels of 3000L and 12% on stainless steel. Lightly filtered.
• Quality mark: Demeter

Domaine Le Soula was started in 2001 by English wine importers Roy Richards and Mark Walford with Gérard Gauby as advisor. From the beginning the vineyards were farmed organically and in 2008 they made the switch to fully biodynamic.

Today, the cheerful South African Wendy Paillé is the winegrower at Le Soula. Wendy moved to Virginia in 2003 and made the transition from sommelier to winegrower to work for a local winery, where she met Joseph Paillé. Love blossomed and Joseph convinced Wendy to move back to France with him, where Joseph created the Pithon – Paillé estate with wine legend Jo Pithon. In 2012, Wendy made her first solo vintage at Pithon-Paillé.

In 2014 she exchanged the Loire for Roussillon in the South of France, where Joseph started working at Domaine Benastra and Wendy at Domaine Le Soula, where she is ultimately responsible for the team, the cellar and 22 hectares of biodynamically cultivated vineyards.

At Le Soula Wendy makes very unique 'solera wines' according to the Sherry method. Blending different vintages is not allowed in France, which is why her wines are sold as the lowest classification 'Vin de France'. The mineral natural wines she makes are special, powerful but also elegant!