Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Matassa Rouge Colour: Red Grapes: Carignan 70, Grenache Gris and Mourvèdre About: Definitely the finest wine here, the most classical, a simple statement of what carefully farmed, carefully made wine from very old vines, in particular the beautiful oft maligned Carignan can become here. Vines Location: up above Calce Size: 1 ha … Continue reading Matassa Rouge
Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Mambo Sun Colour: Red Grapes: Grenache Noir 70 and Macabeu 30 About: the wine is from a very very old bit of vineyard near Coume de l’Oulla, the name a bow to the heat of the year, which Tom wasn’t sure the vineyard would handle, for it was so hot, it was … Continue reading Matassa Mambo Sun
Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Ace of Spades Colour: Red Grapes: Mourvèdre and Carignan 50 50 About: first made 2019. The place is called Myrs, which name is already used by Danjou-Banjessy. The soil here is fabulous and as black as the Ace of Spades. Vines Location: the other side of the river from the estate in … Continue reading Matassa Ace of Spades
Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Tatouine Colour: Red Grapes: Grenache Gris 90%, Grenache Noir, Carignan, Macabeu About: first year made was 2016, from fruit from the old Roumanissa Casot vineyard which Tom had to part abandon losing a battle with wild boar. Tatouine is the name of the place, derived via some Tunisian farmers in the neighbourhood … Continue reading Matassa Tatouine
Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Brutal Rouge Colour: Red Grapes: Syrah 60, Muscat Petit Grains 40 About: Once upon a time Brutal was the name given to a very limited production wine made exclusively for the new restaurant in Barcelona in which Joan Ramon Escoda was a partner with his distributor Cuvée 3000. Since there was no … Continue reading Matassa Brutal Rouge
Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Coume de l’Olla Rouge Colour: Red Grapes: Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris and Macabeu About: Again named after the vineyard from which it comes, it’s all about easy drinking, juicy fruit, as natural and digestible as wine may be, but a structure to lift it far beyond the ordinary. Vines Location: down the … Continue reading Matassa Coume de l’Olla Rouge
Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Alexandria Colour: White Grapes: Grapes: Muscat d’Alexandrie About: Named after the grape, grown on particular red schist soils which gives this variety an extraordinary tension between ethereal and intensity. Vines Location: Calce, la Jasse, 6 ha block fenced off down the hill toward the sea, toward Baixas Size: part of a 2ha … Continue reading Matassa Alexandria
Appellation: VDF Cuvée: Coume de L’Olla Blanc Colour: White Grapes: Macabeu, Muscat d’Alexandrie, Muscat Petit Grain About: Named after the single vineyard from which it comes, Coume de l’Olla, this is all about refreshment, a wine that goes with and uplifts pretty much everything. Vines Location: down the hill to the east of Calce toward … Continue reading Matassa Coume de L’Olla Blanc
Everything we know about Jean-Philippe Padié’s wines for now has been posted here! Jean-Philippe Padié makes some of most natural, pure, delicate and complex wines in the Roussillon from his biodynamically farmed vines sited on a mosaic of soils in Calce. Each Cuvée is a fabulous adventure.
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Le Pacha. Colour: Red. Grapes: Carignan. About: this Cuvée and Gibraltar were born in 2014 out of the old Ciel Liquide Cuvée that is no more since 2012. It’s a great decision born of Jean-Philippe’s long, careful work in the vines to grow beautiful fruit. The Cuvée name is inspired … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Le Pacha VDF
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Gibraltar. Colour: Red. Grapes: Grenache Noir. About: this Cuvée and Pacha were born in 2014 out of the old Ciel Liquide Cuvée that is no more since 2012. It’s a great decision born of Jean-Philippe’s long, careful work in the vines to grow beautiful fruit. Gibraltar represents the celestial side … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Gibraltar VDF
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Petit Taureau. Colour: Red. Grapes: Carignan Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre, exact blend depends on the year, see below. About: named after a song by Claude Nougaro from 1967 filled with references to wine, women and song, “Je suis un petit taureau…”. An extraordinary wine that captures the terroir, the Mediterranean, … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Petit Taureau VDF
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Calice. Colour: Red. Grapes: Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir, exact blend depends on the year, see below. About: pale in colour, fresh, light, soft, with a gentle and salty astringency, digestible, this wine is made for easy drinking yet has a very satisfactory depth of fruit, made in Jean-Philippe’s unique fashion … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Calice VDF
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Milouise. Colour: White. Grapes: Grenache Gris 80%, with the rest Macabeu, Grenache Blanc, Carignan Blanc, Clairette, Tourbat, Muscat à Petits Grains and d’Alexandrie. About: Milouise is Jean-Philippe’s top white made from the oldest vines of the Domaine, all co-planted, very limited production. It’s named after the grand-parents, Milou and Louise. … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Milouise VDF
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Fleur de Cailloux. Colour: White. Grapes: Grenache Blanc 50%, Macabeu 40%, and Grenache Gris 10%. About: called the “flower of stones” this complex and mineral white expresses spectacular freshness, and delicious stone fruits, for only 12.5%. Vines Location: from several parcels near Calce. Size ha: 5. Age: vines planted in … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Fleur de Cailloux VDF
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Tourbillon de la Vie Rouge. Colour: Red. Grapes: Grenache Noir. About: the Cuvée name means Roundabout of Life, and comes from a song by Jeanne Moreau in the celebrated film Jules et Jim by François Truffaut. The wine is a negociant wine from vineyards Jean-Philippe supervises and has made since … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Tourbillon de la Vie VDF Rouge
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Tourbillon de la Vie Blanc. Colour: White. Grapes: Macabeu. About: the Cuvée name means Roundabout of Life, and comes from a song, a waltz, by Jeanne Moreau in the celebrated film Jules et Jim by François Truffaut. The wine is a negociant wine from vineyards Jean-Philippe supervises and has made … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié Tourbillon de la Vie VDF Blanc
Who: Jean-Philippe Padié. What: Vin de France, Roussillon. Where: Calce, Pyrenées-Orientales. When: Since 2003. The Story Jean-Philippe Padié has been quietly making some of the finest natural wine in the Roussillon since 2003. He moved to Calce nearly 20 years ago to work with Gauby for a couple of years and then founded his own … Continue reading Jean-Philippe Padié
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Anima. Colour: Red. Grapes: Grenache noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre a third each. About: FX Dauré’s second, big red, but still typical of his style for freshness and digestibility. Made by whole bunch carbonic maceration without any extraction. Vines Location: just south of Espira in the Roussillon. Size: 1.5 hectares. Age: … Continue reading VDF Anima
Appellation: Vin de France. Cuvée: Contre-Attaque. Colour: Red. Grapes: Mourvèdre 80%, Carignan 20%. About: FX Dauré’s first red, typical of his style all about freshness and lightness – although he generously admits to slightly over-dosing the sulfites, that’s to say adding more than he wished and intended, as a result of mis-reading the analysis. Such … Continue reading VDF Contre-Attaque
Appellation: Vin de France Cuvée: Luminescence Colour: White Grapes: Muscat a Petit Grain, Muscat d’Alexandrie, et Macabeu About: FX Dauré’s first, and for now only, white is deliciously light in alcohol at under 11%. Made with skin contact, there’s a gentle astringency and cool freshness. Bottled after just three months. Vines Location: just south of … Continue reading VDF Luminescence