Saint Roch Blanc, Maury, Cotes du Roussillon, France

Maury is probably best known for its aged, fortified wines, which means that it’s really not that well known at all. When was the last time you had a Maury? Located in the Agly Valley, this region of the Roussillon is rugged, sheltered, and warm with distinctive black schist soils. These are the characteristics that make the terroir unique and in recognition of this fact as well as the prevailing trend in favor of dry wines, the AOC of Maury Sec was created. Maury Sec is darker, more mineral and more brooding in general than wines from the rest of the Roussillon. Grenache, not surprisingly, is the main grape along with smaller plantings of Syrah, Carignan and Mourvedre. Saint Roch even makes a small quantity of white wine from Grenache Blanc and Roussanne.

A blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne grown on gravelly limestone 50 clay soils near the village of Maury, the Vieilles Vignes de Saint-Roch Blanc is fermented in tank and largely aged in concrete with a small portion of oak aging.

VARIETIES

Grenache Blanc, Roussanne

FARMING

Practicing organic

FERMENTATION

Hand harvested, fermented in tank

AGING

5 months in concrete and French oak demi- muids

the cuvée aged in French oak demi-muids.