Pedres Blanques 2024

Rié et Hirofumi Shoji are the exciting new(ish) talent in Collioure, the appellation in the Roussillon that shares boundaries with Banyuls but is for dry and not fortified wines. Rié and Hirofumi are Japanese and met while studying winemaking in Beaune. Rié then worked in Chambolle-Musigny under Frédéric Mugnier. Hirofumi spent time in Saint-Romain with Frédéric Cossard at Domaine de Chassorney. Burgundy land was too expensive, so they bought 3.5 hectares of vines from a retiring grower in the Roussillon, planted mainly to Grenache. Their first vintage was 2017. They are farming two parcels, one planted in 1989 and the other in 1965 - both on the regions granite/schiste soil. 

This was made from tiny yields due to hail...there is far less available than last year.. This is mostly Grenache from head pruned bush vines vines of about 50 years of age planted over the granite and schist soils of the Collioure at around 300 metres above sea level. Like at Clos du Rouge Gorge the grapes were fermented as whole bunches in cuve for around a month then pressed and fed by gravity into old foudres. for 2024, again, Hiro has extended elevage to 18 months which has rendered a fabulous wine in every sense. It is a mountain wine - subtle and perfumed black fruit, flowers, graphite and minerals lead into a palate that is a lace and wonder, they have only made nine vintages, this is a young estate but this is magical wine! Importer notes