Le Soula No 15 La Macération du Soula NV
Editor Rating
- Rated 4 stars
- Excellent
- Côtes Catalanes
- Reviewed by: Treve Ring
- Published on: December 17, 2018
- Last modified: December 17, 2018
Review Summary:
One of Southern France's most exciting natural and biodynamic wineries overseen by winemaker Gérard Gauby, who found these abandoned vines in the late 1990s. This extended-skin contact blend of Vermentino and Macabeu is from 20-24-year-old vines on decomposed granite and gneiss, around 500 m altitude in the Fenouillèdes region (the French word for fennel). This is macerated on skins for 15 days before pressing and native fermented, spending one year in oak before bottling unfined and unfiltered. A dusky orange hue, this firm wine is edgy with tangerine pith, bergamot and, aptly, wild fennel. There's a lovely wisp of citrus oil perfumes and heightened, almost nervous acidity to lift, but this wine is led and structured through the grippy tannins. Haunting mineral salts and a wild scrubby mint linger on the lingering finish.