Katie Jones Vieux Cepages Macabeu

Description

Katie Jones Vieux Cepages Macabeu is made from grapes harvested from dry farmed very old, 60 year old Macabeu vines. Macabeu is the French name for this underrated grape variety. Macabeu is known as Macabeo or Viura in Spain, where is it probably better known.

Katie Jones was originally working for a local wine co-operative when she fell in love with some old vine vineyards around the village of Tuchan in the department of Aude, not far from Maury. Katie initially made Domaine Jones Red and White from her own vineyards and later purchased a vineyard in Fitou. Today she even more projects including the Along Came Jones range. Katie is married to French winemaker Jean-Marc Astruc whose family also have vineyards in Fitou. All of the fruit for this wine is from estate vineyards.

The Katie Jones Vieux Cepage range, as the name suggests, is a range of single varietal wines made from some of Katie’s oldest vines (some up to 110 years old). The grapes for the Vieux Cépages Macabeu comes from a small vineyard planted high above the village of Paziols in the Languedoc. The soils are made up of large limestone rounded stones known as ‘poudingues’ and the vineyard is sheltered from the strong north wind by tall hedgerows of box wood and olive trees. The vines are at least 60 years old and are carefully tended by Katie and her husband Jean Marc. All the grapes are hand picked in crates of 12 kg and are chilled overnight before gentle pressing in our small pneumatic press. The juice is kept chilled in tank and fermentation is long and controlled lasting up to 2 weeks. The grapes are destalked before pressing. This vineyard was vinified in a small 500 litre stainless steel tank and bottled in April. Total production is 800 bottles.