KATIE JONES' NEW WINE

Last Tuesday in London was one of the wettest days of a dismal summer …… However, I braved the elements to attend Dudley & De Fleury’s trade tasting, and was well rewarded, as Katie Jones from Domaine Jones was taking a short break from the harvest in Maury and showing four wines, including her new Fitou.

2011 Muscat Sec - 6.00€
Light colour. A lightly perfumed nose, with a slightly bitter, pithy note that is typical of dry Muscat. Fresh grapey fruit on the palate, a lovely balance of honey and fruit. More honeyed than the nose would indicate. Pure Muscat à petits grains. 3.4 gm/l residual sugar.

2009 Domaine Jones Blanc – 15.00€
Grenache Gris, with just a hint, 3%, Muscat. Quite leesy and a touch of oak on the nose. A dry resinous note, balanced by a rounded textured palate, with some dry honey on the finish. Very intriguing. However, the wine is sold out and the 2010 about to be shipped to London.

2009 Domaine Jones red – 15.00€
I have tasted components of this wine before, but not the finished item. See earlier postings). Medium colour. Some fresh vibrant fruit on the nose. Nicely rounded palate with good spicy, berry fruit and Roussillon sunshine – much appreciated on a grey day in London. Beautifully balanced and very accessible. A blend of 95% Grenache, with 5% Carignan.

2010 Fitou - 16.00€
Katie has just 50 ares in the village of Tuchan at an altitude of 300 metres, planted with Carignan 50%, Grenache Noir, 30% and Syrah 20%. The total production filled four oak barrels, which were together blended in May. And the result was delicious. Good colour. Quite a solid concentrated nose, with some oak. Well integrated oak on the palate. Quite rounded, peppery, leathery youthful fruit. Quite gutsy. A winter wine, conveying warm sunshine.

And I can’t begin to describe the relief of arriving in Montpellier the following day to find the sun shining. No need to look for Languedoc sunshine in a bottle. And over dinner with friends in the evening, sitting outside till nearly midnight, we enjoyed Domaine Ollier Taillefer’s Allegro, followed by Jean-Francois Coutelou’s fresh peppery No 7 rue de la Pompe. See earlier postings about those two estates. Coming next will be a series of St. Chinian producers.

Comments

Graham said…
Had a lovely visit when (roughly) passing by back in June and managed to snap up one of the last cases of the Blanc along with the Rouge and just released Fitou.
Katie does an irresistible deal on whole cases by the way.
Unknown said…
Was glad to read about Katie here ! If she is a great winemaker, she is also a very nice person who talks about her vineyard with passion.
Down here in Montpellier we are very fond of her very elegant 2009 White wine.

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