Le Soula Blanc, Terroir d'Altitude, Côtes Catalanes 2018

He was convinced that the decomposed granite soils in the cooler climate of the Fenouillèdes district of the Eastern Pyrenees had the potential for producing wine of great quality. Their first vintage was 2001 and there are now 21 ha of vines with a further 34 ha of mountainside. Wild boar abound in this remote corner and the surrounding thyme, rosemary, pine and wild garlic contribute to the wine’s character. The vineyards are centuries-old and have been worked organically since Le Soula took them on, using biodynamic methods since 2008. Grape varieties are mainly local including: Macabeu, Rolle, Grenache, Marsanne, Roussanne, Malvoisie and Carignan. Initially, the cellar was an old house in the mountain village of St-Martin-de-Fenouillet, before it was replaced by a more suitable building in nearby Prugnanes. The red and white Le Soula wines have established the domaine’s reputation for wines of individuality and vitality. More recently, they have been joined by the early drinking Trigone wines. Le Soula is owned by Mark Walford, while the team on the ground is headed by South African Wendy Wilson who took over as winemaker in 2016.