Domaine Jones La Perle Rare Grenache Gris

Domaine Jones La Perle Rare Grenache Gris is a single vineyard, barrel-aged white wine. It is made from 100% Grenache Gris. Available to buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

The wine-making philosophy at Domaine Jones is to employ traditional, down–to-earth farming methods and innovative winemaking techniques to capture the characteristics of the terroir and the local area. Domaine Jones wines are only produced in very small quantities – this truly is boutique wine-making. Katie Jones has recently acquired some more vineyards in the village of Tuchan and many of are planted with low yielding old vines with some up to 100 years old. They vineyards are planted with a mix of different grape varieties, co-planted in the same vineyard in place, which was a common way of planting in the early part of last century.

Domaine Jones La Perle Rare Grenache Gris is the result of a happy mistake. Way back when Katie’s winery was vandalised in 2012 and all of the taps were opened on her vats of white wine, one barrel of 2009 survived, but ended up being forgotten about. It was discovered 4 years later, and the semi-oxidised style was a huge success, so much so that Katie now makes this this fantastic Grenache Gris in this style every year.

The grapes for the Domaine Jones La Perle Rare Grenache Gris are hand harvested from a vineyard in Maury and transferred to the tiny “La Gare” winery in Tuchan in small 12kg crates. The wine is fermented in a small stainless steel vat. To maintain consistency Katie maintains 3 barrels in the winery from different vintages and regularly tops up the oldest vintage with the younger wines.  La Perle Rare blanc therefore is non- vintage but will include wines that have spent at least 3 years in oak. Only one barrel is bottled each year producing only 300 bottles, making this Katie’s rarest wine.

This is an unusual style of oxidised white wine, think of a cross between a white wine and Fino Sherry without spirit added for fortification but a little bit richer! A very interesting, and excellent, wine.