Rating:
89
Vinous Media - Vinous
"A blend of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah, the 2024 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Jean Pull opens with expressive notes of licorice, blackberry, black cherry and a hint of black olive. Medium- to full-bodied, round and concentrated, it delivers immediate Mediterranean charm with savoury persistence on the polished finish."
Product Description:
Daniel Laffite is the embodiment of a "Fenouillede." He makes some of the best Maury, bold, rich, velvety reds and now some balanced white wines. A very bright young man, Daniel is quick to learn but rooted in the soil of his vineyards which are situated at the eastern end of the long valley around Maury. The grapes of Maury are Grenache and Carignan, and Daniel knows how to handle them both for vin doux and superb table wine. He is aided by the fact that here, in what is actually part of Catalonia, Carignan gets truly ripe, characterized by both physiological and phenolic ripeness.
Before Daniel Laffite, the estate had been in one family since the turn of the 19th century. At the end of the 1990s, after working for 15 years in close collaboration with the previous owner, in the cellar and in the vineyard, Daniel Laffite and his wife Cathy decided to buy the Domaine. They re-named it Domaine des Soulanes. A soulane is a hillside with south/southeast exposure. The new name reflects this fact; all 18 parcels of the 17 hectares face southeast. Within the commune of Tautavel, in a natural corridor surrounded by the garrigue, the property backs onto precipitous, south-facing limestone escarpments. Grenache, Carignan and Syrah are ideally suited to the steep, arid, rocky terrain of calcareous clay, metamorphic schist and sedimentary marne. An average of 260 days of sunshine a year, combined with prevailing northwest winds protect grapes from disease and mold. No weed killers or pesticides are used.
Vineyards are ploughed several times a year to reduce competition for moisture from weeds, and encourages roots to dig deeper, ensuring wines reflect the minerals in which they grow. The plantation density is 4000 and 5000 vines per hectare, producing 18-25Hl/ha. Pruning is by hand as is all vineyard and cellar work. Harvested by hand, each variety and parcel is vinified separately. Our wines are made under strict temperature controls, using only traditional methods with no carbonic maceration and no added yeast. Bottled at the domaine, our wines are unfiltered, consequently a light deposit is normal. Our wines are well balanced with great character and concentration. They express our passion for our Domaine and the wines we produce.
--Cathy and Daniel Laffite
