ABOUT: Domaine Vinci makes wine from isolated, high altitude hillside vineyards in the Roussillon region of France. The domaine was established in 2001 by Olivier Varichon and Emanuelle Vinci and the scrubby garrigue of the Agly Valley and organic certification should clue you in on what to expect. They let it all go, there is no attempt to control the flora and fauna and they only plough once a year in winter. Wild boar and deer however are not welcome, and their plots are fenced to keep the cute critters out. Everything in the vineyard is done by hand, there is no sulphur used during vinification, and they add just enough at bottling to give the wine a long life. The Roc (70% Carignan, 30% Mourvedre) is our first foray into the world of Domaine Vinci, and we’re loving it. For trivia night, Roc is the name of the valley where the grapes are grown. Loads of character and a tremendous value. TASTE: We got our hands on some 2014 Roc (70% Carignan, 30% Mourvedre) in 2022 and were knocked out by how fresh and delicious, not to mention complex, this wine is. My note goes like this: Clear with a brick colored core, fading to a wide salmon colored rim with medium viscosity. When sniffed is clean with developing, lifted floral aromas of crushed dried flowers, rose petal, cherries, strawberries, prunes, dates, tangy orange marmalade with a salty rim. When drunk is dry (underline that) with medium body and alcohol, HIGH acidity, and medium powdery tannins. The flavors follow suit with the aromas with added black pepper and dark, unsweetened chocolate in the mix. Long finish, high complexity, and room to develop another 5-10 years. PAIR: Homemade pizza on sourdough crust, Szechuan eggplant stir fry, Charro beans, barbecue tofu sandwich, smoked potato salad, vegetable tagine, and veggie gorditas.
