Jean-Marc Lafage and his wife Elaine are both the seventh generation of their families involved in winemaking. His family has been in Roussillion since 1791; they amassed scattered vineyards throughout the region, now totaling over 160 hectares of vines, most older than 50 years. Jean-Marc broke with tradition when he stopped selling the majority of his fruit to the local co-op, preferring to explore the varied terroirs of his property. He identified six major subzones, from the limestone of the Corbières Massif in the north to the granitic soils of the Pyrenees in the south. Three river valleys drain the region, generally flowing from west to east, entering the Mediterranean. Exposures and altitudes also vary. With this diversity, it’s no surprise that the Lafages grow 15 varieties of grapes. They have mapped and analyzed both soils and subsoils to optimize new plantings. All farming is practicing organic.

La Narassa is a Grenache plot that was accidentally overlooked during harvest a few years ago. Despite the over-ripeness of the fruit, Jean-Marc harvested the grapes by hand and babied their fermentation. Surprisingly, though rich and decadent, the wine retained a juicy freshness. Today’s La Narassa is deliberately made in a semi-ripasso style, with 30% Syrah added to the Grenache. Both grow in black schist soil at altitudes from 200(Grenache) to 540 (Syrah) meters above sea level. The vines average over 60 years old and are harvested manually, with several passes in the Grenache plots, choosing only the ripest clusters each time. When the fruit arrives at the winery, it is destemmed, meticulously hand sorted, goes through a brief cold pre-fermentation maceration, and ferments in tank with natural yeasts. The wine ages 12 months, 80% in concrete, 20% in French oak demi-muids (600 liter barrels).

Charcuterie, Duck, Grilled preparations, Hearty stew, Pizza, Red Meat, Sausage, Slow-smoked Barbeque/BBQ Sauce