Domaine Jones Grenache Gris 2017

Vineyard

From our breathtaking vineyard near the village of Maury. Domaine Jones started here  in 2009 when I purchased 8000 vines planted on dark black slate soils overlooked by the impressive Queribus castle.  I fell in love with the vineyard and the wines that it produced didn’t disappoint me either.

Harvest

The Grenache gris grapes were picked by hand early in the morning in our vineyard in Maury into cases containing a maximum of 10 kg.  On arrival at Domaine Jones the grapes were pressed and the juice chilled and maintained at between 16ºC - 18ºC whilst fermentation took place. Fermentation took 10 days and 20% of the wine was transferred into oak barrels. The wine in barrel was batonned weekly and the blend made in March 2016.  

Tasting

Jones blanc is a delicate pale golden colour.  The nose is expressive and fragrant with wild flowers such as mimosa and almond blossom.  There is a hint of delicate spice and the oak is subtle and well integrated.  On the palate the wine is fresh and lively with citrus fruit, melon, ripe pineapple and pear and a long finish of wild herbs.

Fennel in my armchair

Before the beginning of this year I don't think I had ever tried fennel before - quite simply because I wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

'Fenouil' also rates as the second hardest word to say in french just behind 'fauteuil' (armchair).

But one morning at the organic market at Place de la République in Perpignan I couldn't resist the fresh aniseed perfume coming from the fennel box any longer.

And now I think I've become an addict.  In winter we oven roast it with tomatoes and now that summer is on its way we slice it very thinly with celery, add olive oil and lemon juice.  Both are absolutely delicious especially with a glass of my Grenache Gris.

I'm not sure if there is a fennel growing season but I very much hoping there isn't.

Asparagus

In Tuchan we are lucky to have wild asparagus that grows in the hedgerows surrounding our vines.

You need eagle eyes to seek out the thin, camouflaged shoots but you need to search even harder to find a wine to go with them.

But look no further - Domaine Jones Grenache Gris with its subtle hints of fennel and wild herbs is the perfect wine to accompany asparagus.

At this time of year, our local reserve is exhausted but the amazing organic market in Place de la République in Perpignan has bundles of delicious green asparagus.  My favourite dish is so simple - just heat the oven to 200°C, place the asparagus in an ovenproof tray, drizzle olive oil all over and sprinkle with salt.  Place a couple of thick strips of Serrano ham on the asparagus and cook for about 20 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.

Et voilà!

'Outstandingly Delicious' Jancis Robinson MW

I knew it was going to be a great day when I woke up and it was raining😀 but little did I know how great my day was going to get!

Now like the rain in the south of France this definitely doesn't happen every day - Jancis Robinson MW selected my Domaine Jones Grenache 2015 as her wine of the week!!

Wine of the Week, Jancis Robinson MW  can you believe it - I can't!!!!

The article starts and I quote Jancis

"Here we have proof that a woman from Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Middle England can make outstandingly delicious wine in Roussillon"

It's a lovely article and confirmation of what we set out to prove at Domaine Jones - this area can make fantastic wine.

To read the full article please click here

And if you fancy trying some of the 'outstandingly delicious' wine click here or why not join my very small exclusive Domaine Jones Wine Club

Harvest 2017

We started the 2017 harvest on the 22nd August which is the earliest we have ever picked a bunch of grapes here at Domaine Jones!  We began with the grenache gris and grenache blanc from our old vines in Tuchan before moving on to the macabeu in Paziols.  

After spending a night chilling in the big fridge the grapes bounce along the sorting table and into the press.  After a good squeeze the juice is pumped into the vat and we all wait nervously to see if the magic of fermentation is going to start.  It always does but it always feels like it never will.

Everything has gone amazingly well so far - but it's only day 4!

Grenache being sorted by a lady in a nice t shirt

2017 Harvest countdown

the 2017 harvest

I had a slight panic attack when I saw on the local news that the harvest has already started down on the plains near Perpignan, 2 weeks ahead of schedule.  We have just checked the vines and although Perpignan is only 40 km away our grapes are still a good couple of weeks off.   During the past two weeks the weather has not been quite so hot and we have had afternoon storms and clouds blown in from the sea.  This has slowed the grapes down slightly and so it looks like we will probably be harvesting perhaps a week early so towards the end of August.  

The grapes are looking really, really good which means we can leave them to ripen without the pressure of having to pick due to the risk of rot.

So as long as those pesky wild boars stop stampeding our vineyards it looks like we're in for a great harvest.

Star Buy - Grenache Gris

I'm so thrilled to see my Grenache Gris 2014 selected by Rose Murray Brown MW as her STAR BUY in The Scotsman on the 23rd July.

Rosemary writes

"For those who like full flavoured whites, the intriguing Grenache Gris grape makes a lusciously rich honeyed white in warm Roussillon.  Englishwoman Katie Jones unexpectedly discovered some old gnarled vines of this unusual grape in her Maury vineyard; expect fresh minerality combined with herby spicy undertones."

There are limited amounts of the 2014 still available either at The Wine Society or online here

Full article

La Perle Rare White - Scotland on Sunday

'This single vineyard version ... has touches of sage, sweeter spices, oranges and orchard fruits.'  

Scotland on Sunday, Brian Elliott - 18th September 2016 

Grenache Gris - Scotland on Sunday

'This wine centres on spicy quince and greengage fruit with herbal depth, gentle acidity and that savoury mineral texture that southern France does so well.' 

Scotland on Sunday, Brian Elliott - 18th September 2016 

La Perle Rare Blanc 2014 - Manchester Evening News

'To say that I enjoyed this wine would be an understatement of vast proportions. It's certainly the most accomplished wine I have ever tasted made from Grenache Gris. Grenache Gris and Blanc can have a tendency to produce fat wines whose lack of acidity can make them taste less impressive with each taste. This wine however suffers from no blowsiness despite its immense power. Seductive and aromatic, there's a floral nose infused by fennel and tempered by a buttery lick of oak. The palate is slightly waxy with a wholesome mouthful of soft ripe pear and candied lemon. It's all brought into shape by slaking acidity. A title-winning effort.'

Raise a glass with Andy Cronshaw: Manchester Evening News, Rochdale Observer, Rossendale Free Press (May 2016) 

Grenache Gris - Decanter

"It’s full of herb and spice notes, textured and creamy from the oak, with a crisp, mineral finish"

Wow!  That's my Grenache Gris that Christelle Guibert is talking about in Decanter! 

Read the full article here

Domaine Jones wins again!

Domaine Jones Blanc is awarded the Grenache Gris Trophy  in Top 100 Sud de France Awards making it one of the top wines of Languedoc Roussillon

Now in its fourth year, the Sud de France Languedoc-Roussillon Top 100 has become established as one of the year’s landmark competitions.  684 wines from 214 producers were tasted blind by six panels of judges, made up of leading wine-writers, agents, trade-buyers and sommeliers, so it is a very thorough process. 17 top trophies in total were awarded across the competition this year.

Tim Atkin MW, Chairman of the Top 100 judges, says: ‘The Top 100 offers a badge of quality, and every year brings different trends. Sud de France has a steady sunny climate and is a very reliable region to deliver flavour, value for money and some say an overall personality which reflects sunshine in a glass.’

As many of you know this is a very special wine, from my first vineyard under the imposing Chateau Queribus in Maury, Roussillon, where Domaine Jones started back in 2009. It’s made exclusively from old vine Grenache Gris – quite a rarity!  In 2013 I lost my entire vintage of this wine to vandals who emptied my vats - that makes this award even more special! 

The wine was recently described in Parker's Wine Advocate as follows:

"The 2014 IGP Cotes Catalanes Grenache Gris is a rock solid white that offers beautiful minerality, citrus peel and white flower characteristics in a medium-bodied, racy style. Finishing clean and dry, it’s a perfect food wine and will drink nicely for at least 2-3 years."

If you would like to try this award winning white it can be purchased here

Domaine Jones Grenache Gris 2014

Tim Atkin on Jones Blanc 2013

Focused, herbal, pithy white from the talented Katie Jones, who is making ground-breaking wines in the Languedoc-Roussillon. There are notes of nutmeg spice, citrus and pear on this beautifully framed dry white, with a bone dry, almost saline finish. 

91 points

Thanks Tim for this great review and 91 points, very honored to be called 'ground breaking' - to read more from Tim 

Harvest 2014 - the whites

The main white grape varieties are Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and small amounts of Macabeu and Carignan Gris.

The grapes are hand picked into small crates, chilled then pressed and popped into vat to ferment for around 20 days.  Sounds easy but those crates are all hand loaded on to the trailer (thank you to Damian and Becky!) then hand loaded into the press - and then all hand washed!!

We destalk about 40% of the Grenache Gris and Blanc grapes before they jump like lemmings into the press.

Then the wine starts to come alive in the vat as the magic of fermentation begins

The wines then become a bit like offspring - you worry about them day and night - are they warm enough, are they cold enough, have they got enough air, too much air....  They start to develop their own character, some advance quicker than others, some are naughty and some are well behaved but you end up getting very attached to all of them.

Domaine Jones Blanc Grenache Gris 2013

Many thanks to Jancis Robinson for here recent tasting of my wines in her 2014 Languedoc selection.  The full article can be found on Jancis' purple pages.

Jones Grenache Gris 2013 IGP Côtes Catalanes 
16,5 points

This is a subsequent vintage of the wine that Katie Jones lost after her cellar was vandalised. From very old vines overlooking Maury. Broad floral, bloomy perfumes and real zest on the palate. Complex, bone-dry palate with real interest. Glorious opulence without sweetness with a bit of chew still on the finish. This one should go on and on. 13.5% 
Drink 2014- 2019

                  

Domaine Jones Grenache Gris 19/20

WOWOWOWOW! and thank you very much to Mike Tipping for his 19/20 points for my Domaine Jones blanc grenache gris 2013!

"If you are going to splash out £15 on a white wine, then Domaine Jones Blanc Grenache Gris, Côtes Catalanes, 2013, would be an excellent choice."

Read the full article here

Grenache Gris grapes

My journey to work

Yesterday I had the most amazing drive to work.  Work was going to fill up my pick up truck with old vines for the fire - I know not really work, more like play.  The drive was from Paziols to Maury over the top via Cucugnan and Queribus castle and it was amazing!

Mist over the Maury Valley

Queribus castle on the left, low lying cloud on the right

The Office and my Grenache Gris vines

And if you fancy doing the drive here are directions journey to work - NB 24 minutes journey time does not include photo stops.

A glass of springtime

As the first wild flowers come into bloom in the hedgerows, the new vintage of Domaine Jones blanc 2011 has been released.

This is my third vintage and I think it is the best one yet.  The wine is full of spring - wild flowers, almond blossom, and delicious freshness on the palate.  Rosemary George MW tasted it in a recent tasting in London and commented

 "Light colour. Fresh mineral nose. Rounded palate with good depth and layers of flavour. Nicely integrated oak. In other words, I liked it!"

The first bottles of Domaine Jones blanc 2011 have left the Domaine and are on their way to Europe.  

If you live in the UK it is available on line http://shop.domainejones.com

And if you live in Germany it is available from my good friend Thilo in Dusseldorf 

www.kaspar-spirituosen.de  and soon from Gawron www.gawron.de

www.domainejones.com/theWinesJonesBlanc.html

A bumper crop

Fortunately the wild boar are not so keen on the Grenache Gris grapes!  We started picking the Grenache Gris on the 30th August - the quality is perfect and compared to last year we are in for a bumper crop.  When I say bumper this is all relative as even with double the 2010 volume the yields are still very, very low (25hl/ha) but we may manage to get 1.5 bottles per vine!  Picking is a unique time of year - up in the vineyard at the break of day, picking till about 11.30 or until our 80 cases are full and then taking it back to the Vatican to be pressed, chilled and put into vat. The day finishes around 10 pm depending on the number of presses.

Early morning start

Looking good - Grenache Gris 

This year we tried evening picking - something that you just don't do here.  But a bit of picking between 6 and 9 pm was much cooler for us and the grapes.  Thanks to Danielle and Jeremie for joining in the first ever Domaine Jones evening harvest.

We now have a couple of weeks before we pick the reds!  I can't wait - it looks like a fantastic crop!