"Essencial, a Côtes du Roussillon Villages Red AOP. Literally the essence, the heart of the estate. A blend from our schist-covered hillsides planted with local grape varieties in the heart of the Tautavel garrigue. To ensure precision and attention to detail, we crafted these vintages through plot-by-plot selection—the expression of a single old vine in a specific terroir. Our favorite, which was difficult to blend. Bottles made for aging and fine dining." — Domaine des Schistes.
Essencial Rouge is the cuvée with the most self-explanatory name in the Domaine des Schistes range — the essence, the very heart of the estate’s identity, where local Catalan grape varieties express themselves in all their authenticity on the schist-rich marl that gives the estate its name.
Domaine des Schistes belongs to the Sire family, who have been winemakers since the early 19th century in Estagel, northwest of Perpignan, in the Agly Valley. For generations, the harvests were taken to the cooperative winery. In 1989, Jacques Sire, frustrated at not being able to vinify his own grapes, left the cooperative and revived winemaking in the family cellar in the village, built in 1906 by his grandfather and great-grandfather— "back to the roots." Today, his son Mickaël runs the estate, representing the fifth generation. The estate has been certified Organic since 2010 across its 50 hectares spread between Estagel and Tautavel, on terroirs classified as AOP Côtes du Roussillon, Cru Tautavel, and Maury.
The vineyard is managed according to traditional Catalan practices—goblet-trained vines, local grape varieties (Grenache, Carignan, Macabeu, Muscat), winter ground cover with green manure, organic matter additions, and long crop rotation before replanting. "We do everything we can to preserve fertility, giving new meaning to the term 'cultivate' rather than 'exploit.' This commitment to staying as close as possible to the terroir leads the estate to vinify its 80 plots separately, across the 50 hectares spread between the two villages.
Essencial Rouge 2024 is a blend from the schist-covered slopes of Tautavel—Lladoner Pelut, Carignan, Grenache Noir, and a touch of Cinsault—planted on schist-rich marl soils on south-facing slopes in the heart of the garrigue. This terroir promotes early ripening of the grapes, resulting in intense red fruit flavors reminiscent of blackcurrant, with volume and liveliness. The winemaking is precise and minimalist: destemmed harvest, maceration for about ten days with light daily wetting—a gentle and gradual extraction—and racking to air after malolactic fermentation. Aging takes place in cement tanks—without racking or sulfiting before bottling, to preserve the vintage’s fruit intact.
The 2024 has a deep garnet color. The nose reveals a very expressive bouquet of red fruits and Mediterranean spices. The palate is smooth, with a savory tannic structure supported by volume and liveliness—the signature of Tautavel’s schist-rich marl. The finish is persistent and savory. In previous vintages, the Guide Hachette des Vins has consistently awarded this cuvée 1 to 2 stars, highlighting "aromas of garrigue and licorice, violet and blueberry, a supple attack on the palate followed by beautiful roundness, and tannins still present on the finish but promising."
Serve between 14 and 17 °C. Pairings: braised lamb, sautéed veal, ribeye steak, tagine, grilled meats, charcuterie, game. Best enjoyed within 5 years.
Discover all the vintages from Domaine des Schistes.
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