Roucas Toumba, La Grande Terre, 2023

Eric Bouletin’s Roucas Toumba (which means the fallen rock in old Provençal dialect) is one of the top domaines in Vacqueyras. Eric left the local cooperative to start vinifying himself in 2006 and has 16ha of superbly located old vines from which he keeps the best parcels for his own bottlings. The land has been handed down from generation to generation since the Bouletin family first settled here in 1580. His vineyard is split into tiny parcels, protected from the mistral by cypress, almond and olive trees. He has parcels of very old vine grenache, carignan and a very small proportion of white grapes.