La Soif du Mal

It was at the Estézargues Winegrowers' Cooperative (Gard), which he managed from 1989 to 2001, that Jean-François Nicq made a name for himself by convincingly experimenting with large volumes of natural winemaking techniques (indigenous yeasts, no added sulfur). But it is in Roussillon, on the foothills of the Albères massif near the sea, that he continues his adventure and creates his Les Foulards Rouges estate in 2002. Gradually expanded, the vineyard now covers 15 hectares where, on granitic sand slopes, Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan grow side-by-side for the various red wines, as well as Grenache Blanc, Macabeu, and Muscat for the single white wine. A sunny terroir but also marine freshness, cultivation and winemaking without any inputs, these are the characteristics of the estate which transmit to the wines an exemplary maturity, balance and charm – an example for many young winemakers – among the greatest successes of the Catalan vineyard.