You have built a reputation for innovation and doing things differently and you are hoping to do the same with your new wine - a white Fitou?
Yes - Les Parcelles Blanc - which I launched earlier in the summer to the UK. Technically we can’t call it Fitou because only red grapes are permitted in Fitou AOC, under appellation rules, but if white Fitou were to exist, this would be it.
But the concept is the same. The idea with Fitou is to make a blend of the local red varieties that work so well together, and so I wanted to experiment by blending each of the white grape varieties together, and I’ve been very happy with the results. It’s a wine that captures the essence of our terroir and something a bit different.
How did the idea for the wine come about ?
Over the years, I’ve earned a great reputation for my Fitou, - a premium style blend of inland Fitou from very old vines. It has won lots of awards and it’s one of my star wines. I was intrigued what could be achieved with a white blend from the same area and convinced it could work for my UK customers. Especially since there is a clear trend towards white wine drinking in many of the markets I am selling to.
How are you making it and what grape varieties are you using and why?
Les Parcelles is a blend of grape varieties from the region, handpicked from five small parcels of my old vine vineyards scattered around the village of Tuchan in the Aude. The blend comprises Macabeu from Colombier, Grenache Gris from La Grande Pièce, Grenache Blanc from Fourtalaise and Donneuve. My ramblers will be familiar with all of these vineyards.
Katie Jones' vines are in areas around the village of Tuchan
The journey of Les Parcelles Blanc begins with all grapes handpicked in small crates and carefully cooled overnight before a gentle pressing of the whole bunches in our small pneumatic press at La Gare winery. The juice is kept cold in vat, and the fermentation is long and controlled, lasting up to two weeks.
Each grape variety is fermented separately with the free-run juice going into the vat and the press going into oak barrels. Les Parcelles is blended and bottled in the Spring.
How do you hope the new wine can make a difference in your already large range?
Les Parcelles Blanc fits perfectly into my range as it’s a great partner for the Fitou - it’s a blend just like the Fitou. Since the rest of the range is made up of mostly single-varietal wines - customers can taste the individual components separately and then understand how the blend is made up.
Are you still doing your vineyard rambles?
(Here is Katie Jones on her first vineyard rambles in April 2020 at the start of Covid that she is still doing today)
Yes - my rambles are still going strong, most weekday mornings since April this year, and I’m still running my Adopt an Old Vine scheme.
I also did my first real ramble in the vineyards with Phil from Loki Wines and Andy, the Northern Wine Guy. It worked really well and I hope to develop this further so people visiting Domaine Jones can walk around the different vineyards and visit their old vines in person.
What do you get out of doing them?
Lots of new friends! I have made some brilliant new connections in the past four years, since we started the rambles in lockdown. Not just in the UK but internationally, and spanning trade professionals, WSET students, other winemakers and wine lovers and francophiles in general.
It gets me out in the vineyards early in the morning and it makes me so happy to be able to give an insight into my little world and for people to understand first-hand what it’s like to own a vineyard and make wine. It’s great to see everyone each morning and hear how everyone is getting on.
We get lots of visitors coming to visit their adopted old vines too. And as I mentioned already, the next step will be to set up actual guided rambles for vine-parents.
You also have a big focus on old vines - what vines do you have in your vineyards and what do you think they give to the final wines?
Katie Jones has created a community around the world who have each adopted one of her old vines across Domaine Jones
Yes, I am passionate about old vines. Most of my vines are well over 100 years old, making them truly ancient. Each vine is unique, with its own character, showcasing the rich history and terroir of the region. These old vines are highly adapted to the local climate and water scarcity.
Grafted from cuttings of other vineyards, they have developed a hardiness that allows them to thrive in drought conditions and withstand strong winds. Each vintage, these vines produce a small quantity of exceptionally high-quality grapes, contributing greater depth and complexity to the final wines.
You are also a member of the Old Vine Conference - what difference do you hope the organisation can make?
The Old Vine Conference is doing a wonderful job promoting awareness of old vines, particularly by explaining to consumers why they are better. This is so important because, without this awareness and education, consumers might mistakenly view old vines as a negative aspect, when in reality, they are highly beneficial. By educating consumers on the unique qualities and advantages of old vines, we can help them to appreciate and value the character, quality and history these vines bring to the wines they produce.
You also launched a new wine with Naked Wines last year - what was that about?
Katie Jones' new wine with Naked Wines...
That was my prize for being named Winemaker of the Year in 2022. I had the opportunity to create a wine of my choice from the 2023 vintage, so I collaborated with a local co-op. Several of the members had old vines that were being overlooked, and I wanted to support them. Together, we created an old vine Corbières. We named it Les Galères, which means "nightmare" in French, as a nod to the challenging nature of working with these old vines.
How do you see the export market from where you are - where are the big opportunities for you still?
Domaine Jones doesn’t need big opportunities, just a couple of small ones.
What are the big challenges in terms of getting your wines out there and into new markets?
Selling premium wines from the Languedoc was always going to be a struggle. I need to help my distributors as much as I can by getting their customers down here to Tuchan to visit my vineyards and perhaps adopt an old vine so that they understand the concept of my wines.
This year I listed my Fitou in Norway as the importer totally understood what I was trying to achieve and we now have our first Norwegian vine parents.
How is the UK trade and what are you doing to maximise your sales here?
This year I made my first Blanc de Noir from Carignan and it was a great success so I’ll definitely be doing that again. I love the fact that a grape that is so traditionally red can suddenly become white in the winery.
I know that they have been doing this for years in Champagne but to do it in Fitou which is the oldest appellation for red wines in the Languedoc makes me feel rather avant garde and slightly naughty.
Not only does it tick a box as a white wine but I picked the grapes early and the alcohol is only 11.5% which will help with the new duty regulations in the UK too.
What next for you? Any thoughts on making wine outside of France back home in Wales?
I would still love to make a wine in Wales but at the moment all my energy is spent ensuring that Domaine Jones makes and markets the best possible wines from its vineyards here in Tuchan. Along with my nephew, Will Thornton, ex Ridgeview, who is joining me from the 2024 harvest, we hope to have a couple more surprises up our sleeves.
* You can find out more about Domaine Jones at her website here.
