2015 Domaine Lafage “Centenaire” $11/44
Where: Côtes du Roussillon, France
Who: Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage
What: 80% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne
Tastes like: Medium plus bodied white with a little bit of oak (30% of the wine spends 4 months in new French Oak, to be exact). Round profile with bright acidity. Should please those folks looking for an oakier white, while still remaining very balanced and food-friendly.
What to pair with: Fish and lighter meat dishes. Anything with butter. Cheese plates!
Jean-Marc Lafage works at his estate in the Roussillon, and across the border in Spain where he consults on several projects.
Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage farm 160 hectares of vines located just south of the capital of French Catalonia, Perpignan. Some of their vineyards are situated a few kilometers from the Mediterranean while others can be found in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This range of sites allow them to make both refreshing whites as well as concentrated reds and, this being the Roussillon, some fortified wines as well. Benefiting from a warm, dry climate, the estate is farmed organically. They grow primarily Grenache (Blanc, Gris & Noir), Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay with a significant proportion of the vines well over 50 years old. The soil, as you near the coast is weathered, alluvial gravel while in the higher elevation sites it is predominantly schist. They harvest by hand and the winemaking is surprisingly uncomplicated with stainlesss steel for the fresher whites but mostly concrete tanks for the rest with a small amount of French oak demi-muids.
“Run by the talented (and fast driving) Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage, from their cellar located just outside of Perpignan (which is being completely renovated), this estate includes vineyards spread throughout the Roussillon, allowing them to make the most of the diverse terroirs and micro-climates. I struggle to think of another portfolio that encompasses anywhere close to this level of value, and the average quality to price (QPR) for these wines is just hard to believe.”
– JEB DUNNUCK
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