Lot presentation

VDP de Méditerranée (anciennement Vacqueyras) Les Prémices Roucas Toumba 2022

The wine

This white Vacqueyras is a blend of different grape varieties from deep clay-limestone parcels, scrubland garrigue soil and pudding stones. Yields are restricted to 30-35 hl/ha, depending on the year. The grapes are harvested by hand early in the morning, to retain their fresh fruitiness. The grapes undergo direct pressing and 24 hours' cold settling, and are transferred to barrels directly without yeasting. The wine is then matured on the lees in 500-litre barrels for one year. The nose features notes of fresh white fruits and flowers. It is rounded in the mouth, and reveals a direct freshness. A wine for drinking with good food, it should be enjoyed with scallops or poultry in sauce.

About the Producer Roucas Toumba

Domaine Roucas Toumba takes its name from the old Provençal for "fallen rock" or "rocher tombé", which is what this area was known as in the 19th century. The choice reflects Eric Bouletin's attachment to his roots; his surname can be traced back to 1580 in this village. Eric used to send his grapes to the cooperative in Vacqueyras but in 2006, he decided to make his own wine. Today, he toils in the 4-hectare estate alongside his wife Junko, a Japanese sommelier.
The majority of the vineyard is planted with 80-year-old Grenache vines, protected from the Mistral by the surrounding cypress, almond and olive trees. He also grows Syrah and Mourvèdre, and some white grape varieties that are introduced in very low quantities to refine the wines. The estate holds organic certification and the vineyard is cultivated with utmost respect for the land, meaning no herbicides or chemical fertilisers. The wines are vinified in wooden barrels and are deep, mineral and pure.