Domaine Le Soula, La Maceration du Soula Blanc Orange Wine, 75cl

The Fenouillèdes is an ancient route to Spain, situated between Catalonia and the Languedoc. Historically, this region has always been attached to the Languedoc thus, it has always been a frontier zone, acting like a border between two regions. The traditional language is Occitan (langue d’Oc) and the locals fiercely protect their identity and dialect.

The region reaches 1300 metres altitude. As you approach the plain the climate is Mediterranean and as you ascends the Pyrenees it becomes cooler, typical of a mountainous terrain. The poor soils and harsh climate of the mountains make for wines of distinct character; these wines have been said to sometimes give the impression of sucking stones. Viticulture has been established in the region for a long time, but it was confined to the warmest terroirs and the steepest slopes. The slopes were south facing, in French known as adret and in Occitan, Soula or Soulane. One of the lieu-dit, where we have our oldest vines, is called Lo Soula.

Orange wine is white wine made like red, so with extended skin contact. It produces a style of wine quite unlike the clean, crisp whites we have come to expect as the norm, sometimes oxidative in style since many orange wine makers also favour open top fermenters. It is a style of winemaking new to the west but with a very long history in parts of Eastern Europe. At Le Soula in Roussillon, the Maceration is an experimental orange mixed-vintage blend of Vermentino, Macabeu, Malvoisie du Roussillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

13% ABV