Domaine Jones Vineyard Collection Carignan Gris

Description

Domaine Jones Vineyard Collection Carignan Gris is a white wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon made from 100% old vine Carignan Gris. Carignan Gris is a very rare pink-skinned mutation of the red grape Carignan. With only a handful of acres of this grape variety left in the world, mostly in the rugged hills of the Languedoc-Roussillon, this bottle represents a vanishing piece of viticultural history. This is a complex white wine with aromas and flavours of crunchy pears with smoky and herbaceous nuances.

Domaine Jones Vineyard Collection Carignan Gris

The grapes for Domaine Jones Vineyard Collection Carignan Gris come from the tiny La Roque vineyard, which is located between the villages of Tuchan, home to the Jones winery, and Paziols. The vines here are 70 years old.

Owner and winemaker Katie says that Carignan Gris is “pain in the ‘derrière'” as it is a very late ripening variety. In fact, it comes in after the red grapes and at a lower alcohol content. The grapes were finally picked in mid-October.

From Katie, “Carignan Gris is a very rare grape and, unlike the red grape variety, is very difficult to come by. I was extremely lucky to be able to purchase a small vineyard just outside Tuchan and fascinated to see what style of wine it produced. We kept the wine separate and made just 800 bottles. We rather like it!”

Vineyard Collection Range

This wine is part of Katie Jones’ Old Vines “Vineyard Collection range, which also includes a Syrah, a Carignan, an Orange Macabeu and a Carignan Blanc de Noirs.

Domaine Jones, Old Vine Specialist

Domaine Jones is owned and operated by Katie Jones, a passionate winemaker with deep roots in the Languedoc region. Before establishing her vineyard, Katie spent nearly two decades as Sales and Marketing Director for the Mont Tauch co-operative.

Her journey took a transformative turn in 2007 when she fell in love with a small, 3.5-hectare vineyard in the Maury Valley. In 2008, she acquired this vineyard, known as La Sanayre Est, nestled in the shadow of the historic Queribus Castle. Surrounded by wild scrubland, or garrigue, the vineyard boasts over 8,000 vines planted on slopes of black schist. The vines planted here include Carignan, Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris, and Muscat.

Traditional Viticulture Meets Innovative Winemaking

Katie’s inaugural three wines from Domaine Jones were a Jones Red, a Jones White (made from Grenache Gris), and a Fitou. These have now been joined by various other wines, and her ever-changing range now includes a rosé wine, many different red and white wines, as well as a Macabeu orange wine. 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.

Collecting Old Vines & Adopt an Old Vine!

Katie has a deep appreciation for old vines and has been steadily acquiring small, ancient vineyards near Tuchan whenever possible. She is a proud member of The Old Vine Conference and runs a popular “Adopt an Old Vine” initiative through her website. Many of these vineyards are home to low-yielding vines that are up to 100 years old. These old plots often feature a mix of grape varieties co-planted in the same vineyard, a traditional practice from the early 20th century.