Domaine Ey, Saint Esteve

Of the thousands of wines that come across the tasting bench each year, these two stood out as perhaps the most interesting. So much wine is made today in such a clean, aseptic way, it lacks a little soul. This pair of wines come from very ancient Grenache vines grown in the Côtes du Roussillon Villages and are made in a traditional style, imbuing them with nutty, almost balsamic hints. By no means rustic, they are wonderfully original wines in an era of so much homogeneity. The name SOC has a double meaning, in Catalan it means ‘I am’, whilst in French it is the name of the ploughshare. Patrice is the third generation to farm this land, but the first to make his own wine from the grapes. He is also famous locally for his organic farm produce and his support of the slow food movement.