2022 Pedres Blanques - Roussillon - 3 Bottles (0.75L)

Rié and Hirofumi Shoji cultivate 3.5 hectares of vineyards in the most isolated part of the Collioure denomination, namely “Pedres Blanques” (“white rocks” in Catalan); the name refers to the spectacular rocky terraces that surround the estate. This cuvée is a single-varietal Grenache grown in a plot located in Collioure, atop a hill of schist and granite. The goal of this Japanese couple is to intervene as little as possible during winemaking, letting the wine express the characteristics of its terroir of origin. Winemaking is therefore carried out without fertilizers and without adding sulfites. The grapes ferment whole-cluster thanks to the action of indigenous yeasts. Fermentation lasts about 30 days, with extraction limited to the bare minimum: light punching down at the start of the process, followed by gentle pump-overs. The must is then gravity-transferred into used barriques and the aging continues until the month of April. On tasting we find aromas of almond, plum and cinnamon, notes of tapenade and black fruits, and an umami palate. This delicious wine, very complex, also offers notable texture on the palate.