Katie Jones (Domaine Jones, Maury) on an upward spiral

Katie Jones with her 2010 Muscat Sec and the Jones' Fitou

Off yesterday to a couple of tastings in London at the start of the autumn season: first to Dudley & de Fleury Wines in Notting Hill Gate and then to a big J&B Italian, Portuguese and Spanish tasting in the Middle Temple.

Katie Jones, formerly the longtime export and marketing director for the very good Fitou cooperative in Mont Tauch, was there. Originally from Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire, Katie has lived in the beautiful but rugged southern Corbières for nearly 20 years. In 2007 she fell in love with a 2.5 hectare vineyard in Maury. Two years later she left Mont Tauch to become a vigneronne. In addition to the vines in Maury, the Jones' estate includes 0.5 hectares of Fitou at Tuchan, which is also where her winery is – in the Rue du Vatican. I wonder if this location allows her to call her wines 'Jones-du-Pape'?

It was good to meet up again with Katie, who I hadn't seen since she left Mont Tauch. This was a flying visit to London as she is in the middle of the harvest. The whites are picked and it will be the turn of the reds, which are apparently looking very good. Yields are up this year to 25 hl/ha.

The Jones 2010 Muscat

She had four wines to taste and I particularly liked her grapey 2010 Muscat Sec (£8.95 duty paid ex-VAT) – a great summer apéritif – and the soft, rich and long 2010 Fitou (£15.95) made from Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. The Carignan and Grenache vines are over 100 years old, while the Syrah is a comparative babe at 30 years.      

 Domaine Jones 2010 Fitou 

After nearly 20 years a miracle harvest

A precious bunch

Around 20 years ago we bought three vines from the Easter Foire aux Vins at Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. All were eating grapes. One was a Chasselas, another a Muscat de Hambourg and the third I can no longer remember its name. Saint-Georges no longer holds an annual Foire aux Vins and our three vines have never prospered. Maybe the soil has too much limestone for the rootstock. Also not being there all the time means they haven't had the best of care.  

We were astonished to discover on Friday that we had some Muscat grapes – just one bunch before you get too excited. This is belived to be the first grapes that any of the three vines have produced in  around 20 years since we planted them. This certainly presents Mark Roberstson's Clos Chossay operation in a different light as he picked his Côt and Cabernet Franc on Saturday afternoon ending up with 75 litres of a field blend of the two varieties. As in 2009 Clos Chossay's production this year is over one hectolitre. Look out Castel!

Whether we will have to wait another 20 years for the next bunch of Muscat remains to be seen.