Grenache and Mourvèdre from a twenty year old vineyard high in the hills above Collioure. The vines are planted on a steep north facing slope some three hundred metres above sea level, which lends great freshness. The grapes are crushed by foot and after a week are pressed off to a single old barrel until the following spring. A wine of striking depth and intensity, that marries gorgeous sun-kissed fruits, black olive and brine. One of the greatest truly natural wines on the planet. Manuel Di Vecchi Staraz is originally from Tuscany but has settled in Roussillon region of Banyuls-sur-Mer along the Mediterranean Sea, where he has created one of the most uncompromising wine-making projects found anywhere. It is not just a sustainable wine production, but also a practical realization of an overall vision of what natural wine should be. Ancient, free-standing Grenache Noir vines with extremely low yields, free-grazing sheep in the vineyards, moon phases, no machines, only hand power and mules, playing the violin for the grapes, destemming by hand, grape-stomping ballerinas, spontaneous fermentation and of course no fining, filtration or added sulphur. And now that we are at it, why not get a Catalan glassblower to mouth blow all of the bottles (for real). You could almost be led to believe that the whole thing was a little too much, if it were not for the fact that the wine is so convincingly well-made and enjoyable to drink. Vinyer de la Ruca only produces about 2,000 bottles a year, showcasing Manuel's obsessive passion and vision. 13.0% ABV
