Les Foulards Rouges

France

Jan 21

Jean-François Nicq of Les Foulards Rouges spent 12 years working in Côtes du Rhône, before settling in the Rousillion village of Montesquieu-les-Albères in 2001. With a degree in geology and oenology, followed by an introduction to the burgeoning natural wine movement by friends Thierry Puzelat, Marcel Lapierre and company, Jean-François found himself purchasing 9 ha of vines with the aim to produce clean and highly drinkable wines. Just six miles from the Mediterranean Sea and three miles from the Spanish border, Jean-François’s (now) 20 ha of vines rest on the French side of the historical Catalogne, with the Pyrénées mountains in close view.

His vineyards are composed of multiple plots. On the lower, flatter part are mostly decomposed sandier soil producing his lighter, easy-to-drink cuveés. On the hillside, about 100 meters up, are his isolated single plots: Frida, Les Vilains, Les Glaneurs, Grenache, which lie directly on the bedrock with barely any topsoil and show more density. The soils are lightly worked with the help of his sweet mule, Uma, and in the cellar Jean-François keeps things simple and precise. As a result, his wines are a rare expression of this region, always able to retain so much freshness without compromising complexity.

CUVÉES

“Frida”

**Region:** Les Aspres
**Grape:** Carignan Gris, Blanc, and Noir, old vines co-planted
**Soil:** granite
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** destemmed, cool fermentation 2-3 weeks
**Aging:** 6 months in 500l barrels
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

“Terre de Feu” Rouge

**Region:** Les Aspres
**Grape:** Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre – grapes from friend Jean-sé Gioan at Domaine Potron Minet
**Soil:** red clay
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** carbonic maceration for 2 weeks in cold water
**Aging:** 6 months in vats
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

“La Soif du Mal” Blanc

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** 30% Macabeo, 30% Muscat Petit Grain, 20% Muscat d’Alexandria, 20% Vermentino
**Soil:** granite
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** direct press
**Aging:** 4 months in vat
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

Octobre

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** 90% Syrah, 10% Grenache
**Soil:** decomposed granite, sand
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** carbonic maceration for 10 days at low temperature
**Aging:** 1 month 500-liter used barrels
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

Le Fond de l’air est Rouge

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** Cinsault
**Soil:** granite sand soil
**Average Age of Vines:** 80 years
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** carbonic maceration for 15 days at low temperature
**Aging:** 50% concrete tanks, 50% in barrel
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

Glaneurs

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** Grenache
**Soil:** detrital granite
**Average Age of Vines:** 50 years
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** 50% De-stemmed, 50% Whole-cluster carbonic, both macerated for 3 weeks, free run and press juices are blended
**Aging:** 6 months in barrel
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

“Les Vilains”

**Region:** Les Aspres
**Grape:** Carignan, old vines
**Soil:** granite
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** carbonic maceration for 15 days
**Aging:** 6 months in 50% vats, 50% barrels
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

“Terre de Feu” Blanc

**Region:** Les Aspres
**Grape:** Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Macabeu – grapes from friend Jean-sé Gioan at Domaine Potron Minet
**Soil:** red clay
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** direct press
**Aging:** 4 months in vats
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

“La Soif du Mal” Rosé

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** Carignan, Syrah
**Soil:** granite, gneiss
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** direct press
**Aging:** 6 months in 5 year old barrels
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

“La Soif du Mal” Rouge

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** Grenache
**Soil:** granite
**Average Age of Vines:** 10-20 years
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** carbonic maceration for 15 days at low temperature
**Aging:** 6 months, 50% in vat, 50% in barrel
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

Potemkine

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** Carignan Blanc, Carignan Gris (planted in 2018)
**Soil:** granite
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** macerated on the skins for 1 week
**Aging: 4** months of élevage in 500-liter old barrels
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

Grenache

**Region:** Montesquieu-les-Albères
**Grape:** Grenache
**Soil:** granite
**Average Age of Vines:** 80 years
**Farming:** organic
**Harvest:** by hand
**Winemaking:** de-stemmed, low temperature fermentation
**Aging:** 6 months in barrel
**Fining:** none
**Filtration:** none
**Added S02:** none

Sara Ali

Les Foulards Rouges

CUVÉES

Mas Mellet

Domaine Mont de Marie

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