Domaine Jones Fitou in The Guardian

This article made my day.  To read in a national newspaper (in this case The Guardian Feast magazine) that my wine 'takes Fitou to the next level' is totally amazing especially when it's the brilliant Fiona Beckett who says it.

It is basically what we have been trying to do for the past 10 years by using only old vines with extremely small yields.  It seems to have paid off :-))))

For the full article click here

The 2016 vintage is available at The Wine Society or from my website.

In the press

If you’re after inspiration for new wines to try this month, why not go on recommendation from three of the UK’s top wine-writers. My press highlights this month include two shout outs for my Domaine Jones Grenache Noir - a ‘Star Buy’ in The Scotsman and a superb write up in midweekwine.co.uk  - and, also I'm super excited to be featured in Will Lyons' column in The Sunday Times Magazine.

‘For sheer enjoyment and bang for your buck, it’s hard to beat the Languedoc’

Will Lyons, The Sunday Times Magazine, 22^nd April 2018 

Will’s article sums up what we set out to prove at Domaine Jones – this little corner of the Mediterranean is a fantastic part of the world for making wine. And as Will says: ‘a new wave of talent and investment has created pockets of excellence’. Yes, we are making wines that can compete with the best from anywhere in the world and offer amazing value too. 

‘Ten years ago Katie Jones gave up a marketing job to set up her own winery in Fitou, west of Perpignan, learning along the way from the Australian wine consultant David Morrison. The wine is pretty good: medium-bodied and smooth, full of rich fruit favours. £14.50, The Wine Society. 

Hidden gems of France

Rose Murray Brown MW

***STAR BUY***

Domaine Jones Grenache Noir 2015 

(£12.50 The Wine Society www.thewinesociety.com) 

‘Made by Englishwoman Katie Jones from 90-year-old vines grown on rugged schist soils in Maury on the edge of the Garrigue.  An astonishing vivid unoaked rendition of this peppery grape with lovely succulent ripe fruits, a wonderful wine to enjoy right now with a platter of charcuterie – not for the long haul: 14.5%’

An English Contribution to Southern France

Brian Elliot

'Leicestershire's Katie Jones is something of a legend creating fantastic and distinctive wine in a little-known corner of Languedoc - often having to overcome ultra-conservative local opposition to survive.

However, it all seems worth it when you encounter the inky depth of 2015 Domaine Jones Côtes Catalanes Grenache Noir (£12.50 at The Wine Society and 14.5%) and the elderberry and bramble fruit it embodies which leads into graphic centred minerality, hints of cocoa and vanilla all enlivened by an almost grapefruit based acidity.'

Fitou 2013 - 'an impeccable drop'

A massive thank you to Neil Cammies for this lovely tasting note on my Fitou 2013 - 'an opulent style of Fitou'

‘'Katie Jones has had to deal with quite a bit in her wine-making career, but this doesn’t stop her making an impeccable drop.Her DOMAINE JONES FITOU 2013 (£13.50, The Wine Society) is a classic blend of carignan, grenache and syrah, resulting in an inky dark colour in the glass.The spicy bouquet of the darkest fruits has touches of blackberries and tarter blackcurrants. In the mouth the fruit is held in line with the structured tannins and a smidge of spicy wood tones.The warming black pepper heat continues through to the long, earthy finish. An opulent style of Fitou from Katie’s vineyard in the village of Tuchan.'

Neil Cammies, Wales Online, 12^th August 2016

For the full article please visit: 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/classy-red-wines-really-help-11737800

Domaine Jones Fitou

I just had to select Domaine Jones Fitou as it is the perfect wine for dark winter evenings by the open fire.   The 2013 vintage is drinking superbly as are the 2011 and 2012.  

Here are my tasting notes and à votre santé!

Complex, smooth and succulent, with pure hedgerow fruit. Domaine Jones Fitou is made from grapes from 15 of my very small vineyards scattered around the villages of Tuchan and Paziols in the Languedoc. The secret of my Fitou is definitely in the age of the vines – most of them are over 100 years old and bring freshness, depth and a beautiful texture to the wine. 

The wine is made from Carignan, Grenache, Syrah (a classic Languedoc blend) and is perfect with a wild boar stew, a juicy t bone steak and chips, highland venison, duck, cassoulet, mature cheddar, steak and ale pie. 

Fitou is not the name of a grape but the name of a small village on the Mediterranean coast between Narbonne and Perpignan. There are 8 other villages that are allowed to produce Fitou, 5 in the low lying coastal area and 4 inland on the higher ground of the Corbières mountains. 

"Great concentration."
Jancis Robinson, Purple Pages
"Full of plump, deep spice and plentiful dark fruit"
Mail on Sunday, Olly Smith

"Intensely savoury palate with a pronounced herbal note that conjures up an afternoon's walk on the Fitou's garrigue strewn hill."
Decanter, Natasha Hughes

"It’s another winner from this estate that offers a supple, sexy and medium to full-bodied personality to go with great aromas and flavours of blackberry and black cherry fruit, roasted herbs, leather and liquorice. Sweetly fruit, beautifully textured and with terrific purity of fruit."

The Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnock 

Sunday Express

Thanks to Jamie Goode for writing about Domaine Jones Fitou in this weeks Sunday Express

"Domaine Jones Fitou 2012, Languedoc £14.50, thewinesociety.com (01438 741177), 14.5% alcohol Here is a superbly stylish fitou red from Katie Jones, who’s making some of the region’s most interesting wines. It’s supple and pure, with some elegance as well as ripe black fruits and a fine spiciness."

Harvest 2014 - the reds

Syrah lees or the gunk at the bottom of the tank

Here at Domaine Jones our main red grapes are Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. These grapes will either go into our Fitou (a blend of all 3) or kept separate as single varietels.  As each of our 25 vineyards are fermented separately it means that not only do we have a lot of small vats and barrels but we keep our options wide open until we get to know each wine intimately and then blend or not in April 2015.

The Syrah usually comes in first, except for our high altitude vineyard, followed by the Carignan and Grenache.  This year was even more exciting than usual as we have invested in a vibrating sorting table!  We did think of a couple of uses for the table which had absolutely nothing to do with the harvest but its main purpose is to make sure make that all stalks and leaves are removed before putting the grapes into vat.  The top grapes for La Perle Rare are inspected by no less than 8 people on their bumpy journey down the table to the awaiting open barrel.

The top wines then received more VIP treatment barrel as the grapes were gently squeezed by 3 pairs of feet twice a day for 7 days.

Although it is still early days, as we have only just started to press the Syrah, (usually after about 20 days) the wine is already showing a great concentration, lovely fruit and a great balance.

For the wines that ferment in vat we do twice daily pump overs to extract colour and structure from the skins.

I'd also like to give a special mention for our awesome vineyard of 80 year old grenache in Maury that surpassed itself this year and gave us the biggest crop we have ever had.  The wine is fermenting away and smells absolutely heavenly!

Domaine Jones Fitou 2012

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 2012 Fitou 
16 points

Well-married blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Mid, bright crimson with lots of energy and much fresher and more direct in its appeal than most Fitou. Very confident, clean and appealing. Great balance. Good meaty persistence. 14.5% 
Drink 2014- 2018

                  

Frauenpower

Frauenpower - Such a great sounding title to this article in the German magazine Feinschmecke.  Frauenpower put to one side for a moment I am very proud that my Fitou made it into the top 100 wines for 2014. 

Miss Jones Fitou in The Times

I think my 14th of July celebration came a little early this year - about a week early.

Last Saturday Fitou by Miss Jones from Majestic was selected by Jane Macquitty in the Times as her overall favourite red in her top 50 reds for the summer

"Jane’s favourite
2011 Fitou by Mademoiselle Jones, Languedoc, France
Majestic, £14.99 or two for £11.99 each until July 18 
Katie Jones worked for 17 years at the Tuchan co-operative, so if any Englishwoman knows what’s what at this western end of the Languedoc, she does. She owns seven hectares of up to a century-old carignan and grenache, plus 20-year-old syrah. Blend together, give it a dusting of French oak and you get a dazzling fat, tangy, violets and herb scrub-scented red, with a bitter chocolate finish. Magnificent."

Time to get the sparklers out and storm a Bastille or two!!

Oh what a night

On Monday I took a break from the harvest to go and pick up the Domaine Jones Fitou gold medal and trophy at the very prestigious International Wine Challenge dinner at the Hilton on Park Lane.  And I definitely made a day of it.  Up at 5 am to get my plane from Montpellier, arrived in Luton at midday, collected by my sister Sue, borrowed her bright pink lovely dress, off to Milton Keynes for haircut, quick make over at John Lewis, including very bright pink lipstick and train down to London.  Met David, our wine consultant on the 28th floor of the Hilton and had quick G+T before going to the very best glitzy, sparkly evening that I have had in a very long time.  Then it was off to my sister's, Jen, in Clapham, a couple of hours sleep and back on the plane to get back to harvest.

Now I am not quite sure when I will be able to use my lipstick again, and all the waves have dropped out of my hair but I will long remember what an absolutely fabulous evening I had.

Uncle Jim (or is it Bernard)

It is not often that a visit to Domaine Jones moves me - but yesterday was different.  A couple of weeks back I had received an email from Jim in Canada.  My Mum explained that he was married to my granny's cousin so I am not quite sure what that makes him to me but I can quite confidently say he is a a distant relation and not only in miles.  Jim, a former winemaker himself, has been following my adventures at Domaine Jones and was so keen to see what I had done that he travelled all the way from Canada to his relations in Gruissan near Narbonne.

Shamefully, I never replied to his email and as soon as he landed he gave me a ring to fix up a date.  5 years ago he had tried to come and visit on his last trip to Europe with his late wife Joan.  Unfortunately Joan fell ill so they never made it.  This time Jim was on a definite mission to meet his wine making relation.

We tasted the wines in the Vatican and it suddenly sunk in that this lovely man had travelled half way round the world to taste my wines.  I was nervous.  We tasted the white, - 'yes nice'.  We tasted the red - 'um yes is this the Fitou?'  No this is is the Grenache from Maury.  'Umm but you make Fitou don't you?'

And then I got the Fitou out and his eyes lit up.  'Ah so this is the Fitou?'  I was really nervous now.

He took one sip and said - 'This is good, this is very good. '

And that was it - whatever happened in those couple of seconds said it all.  The look in his eyes, the wonderment and the absolute pleasure he had in finally getting to taste my wine.

Thank you Uncle Jim, merci Bernard and please, please stay in touch.

Jim in front of the Vatican

PS Jim's real name is Bernard but he picked up the nickname of Jim from a packet of cornflakes with a boy called Sonny Jim on and it stuck so in Canada he is known as Jim and in France as Bernard.  

English Queen of Fitou takes gold!

The Queen of Fitou gets Gold (and funny looks from the locals)

Photo taken by Nigel Bradley

Happy Jubilee weekend everyone! 

I have something to celebrate too - a GOLD medal for Domaine Jones Fitou 2010 at this year's International Wine Challenge. What better way to celebrate but to dress up as the Queen of Fitou and sit in my tiny kingdom of vines. Not quite sure what the locals made of it but you don't get gold everyday and especially not for your first vintage.

The Domaine Jones Fitou was tasted blind against over 12000 wines from around the world. Only 423 gold medals were awarded and the wine was tasted by over 10 different judges including Charles Metcalfe, Tim Atkin MW, Oz Clarke.

A very limited amount of Fitou 2010 is available and can be purchased online at Domaine Jones at £25 per bottle including delivery www.domainejones.com

And a big word of thanks to Nigel Bradley for capturing the regal pose so well!

Pruners in the mist

Up with the lark this morning and out into the vineyards to start the pruning.  Well that's what I thought I would be doing but I ended up with the 'attaching twigs to the wires' job.  It really didn't matter though as the sun peeped through the morning mist - it was magical.

In London last week, I got very excited to see Domaine Jones Fitou on the list at the Harwood Arms in Fulham - goes a treat with the delicious food and in particular the hare faggots and the venison scotch egg.

Jones Spring News

Keep up with Jones in the New Spring Newsletter. You just won't believe how exciting life has been down here in the middle of nowhere.  Sign up http://www.domainejones.com/newsletter.html

Jones covered in medals

Post harvest cool down

And the leaves that are green, turn to brown 

Today the final wine from the 2010 harvest was pressed in the Vatican.  It was the Fitou which marked the end of the harvest madness and a return to calm.  After 4 weeks of gentle fermentation and maceration it was time to get the first ever Jones Fitou juice off the skins and into barrel.  Getting the wine off was the easy bit, the harder bit was getting the skins out of the vat and into the press.  But good old Jones managed it single handed like a real vigneronne and now has the comfort of knowing that all the wines are through fermentation and gently ageing in vat and barrel.  I have 14 different barrels and vats from my 3 hectares of vines - the smallest one is just 80 litres and the largest 1000 litres.

Out in the vineyards the leaves are falling to the ground and the vines are waiting to be pruned.  They can wait a bit longer though as I have my first official outing from the village for months to Birmingham Bin Ends wine club.  Can't wait!

Jones vineyard in Tuchan

on the slippery slope

Autumn is on its way and so is Jones Fitou

Picking ended at Domaine Jones on the 8th of October.  The last grapes we picked were in the Jones Fitou vineyard in Tuchan and there was a distinct autumnal feel with the leaves turning to dark crimson and the early morning mist hiding the Mont Tauch mountain. 

This will be an exciting year for Domaine Jones as the first ever Jones Fitou will be made.  It could not have been done though without my amazing Mum and Dad who courageously came to help towards the end of the harvest to bring in the first ever Jones FITOU.  

70 year old Carignan getting the snip

Pickers in dawn mist 

Getting the job done in style

End of the 2010 harvest

A tired Jones

You will be glad to hear that the Jones 2010 harvest is looking much better than I am (except perhaps for my new pink flowery wellies).  Exhausted after 6 weeks of harvest activity starting with the whites in Maury and finishing today with the Carignan and Grenache in my new Fitou vineyard in Tuchan.  So what has Katie been up to?  Picking, pressing, fermenting the whites and picking, destalking and pumping over the reds I feel like I have done a 6 week work out at the gym.  But then your grapes start to ferment and the Vatican is alive with pop popping sounds and exquisite perfumes of fermenting juice and it is all worth while.