94 Point (JD) La Narassa from Lafage

‘ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE’ – Jeb Dunnuck

“It is astounding the number of incredible value wines we have promoted from Jean-Marc Lafage; he could be one of the greatest value producers in the world! The 94 point 2017 Domaine Lafage Cotes Du Roussillon Villages Lieu Dit La Narassa is no exception this is a wine that will blow your mind for just $16.99! Jeb Dunnuck describes it as ‘almost too good to be true’ and suggesting that ‘at this quality, they could charge three to four times the price.’ This is one to buy by the case. Enjoy!” – Jim Knight, The Wine House

NEW! The Wine House Kitchen introduces our freshly prepared cocktails to go. Our Negroni, Old Fashioned and Cadillac Margarita are made with top-of-the-line ingredients. All you need to do to enjoy these premium cocktails is shake well and pour over ice! Each 375ml bottle is only $24 and makes three cocktails. Please keep refrigerated as they are made with fresh ingredients. NOTE: Cocktails to go are only available for curbside pickup.

Check out our CLOSEOUT wines on our website! Quantities are limited to current stock and new closeout wines are added regularly!

NOTE: The Wine House is not open for walk-in customers. We offer curbside pickup between 11AM and 6PM. Please see below for UPDATED curbside pickup instructions and contact us before coming to the store. Please let us know if you have multiple orders to consolidate.

CHAT! If you see a chat bubble in the lower right corner on our website, a Wine House employee is ready to answer your questions. Please note that chat is only available between 11AM and 6PM, and the bubble only displays when an employee is available. Chat agents can answer many questions, but cannot process orders.

LOCAL DELIVERY! For orders over $250, we now offer Special Local Delivery
Monday - Friday to addresses up to 10 miles from the store for $8/case. Additional delivery options are also available on our website.

94 Points: “Almost too good to be true, the 2017 Narassa is based on 82% Grenache and 18% Syrah, with the Grenache coming from the black slate soils of Maury and the Syrah from the higher elevation, sandy, granitic soils of Saint Martin de Fenouillet. Brought up all in used barrels, this full-bodied, deep, meaty Syrah reminds me a top California GSM blend and has a rocking nose of white pepper, black olives, cedarwood, and ample black fruits. At this quality, they could charge three to four times the price. Drink it over the coming 3-4 years.” – Jeb Dunnuck (April 2019)

FROM THE IMPORTER

For well over a decade we have worked with Jean-Marc Lafage at his estate in the Roussillon, and across the border in Spain where he consults on several projects. As good as his wines were, when we first met him, they only get better with each vintage. When we first made his acquaintance in Calatayud, he suggested we visit his estate in the Roussillon and the rest, as they say, is history.

Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage farm 160 hectares of vines located just south of the capital of French Catalonia, Perpignan. Some of their vineyards are situated a few kilometers from the Mediterranean while others can be found in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This range of sites allow them to make both refreshing whites as well as concentrated reds and, this being the Roussillon, some fortified wines as well. Benefiting from a warm, dry climate, the estate is farmed organically. They grow primarily Grenache (Blanc, Gris & Noir), Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay with a significant proportion of the vines well over 50 years old. The soil, as you near the coast is weathered, alluvial gravel while in the higher elevation sites it is predominantly schist. They harvest by hand and the winemaking is surprisingly uncomplicated with stainlesss steel for the fresher whites but mostly concrete tanks for the rest with a small amount of French oak demi-muids.

La Narassa is sourced from the famed black schist soils of the Agly valley in the northern Roussillon near the village of Maury. It is made in a semiripasso style by harvesting the Grenache and Syrah in successive passes picking only the ripest clusters. Once at the cellars the fruit is destemmed and only the best berries are chosen for fermentation after a short prefermentation maceration.

APPELLATION: Côtes Catalanes
VARIETY: Grenache, Syrah
AGE OF VINES: 60+
FARMING: Practicing organic
SOIL: Black schist
ALTITUDE:200 meters
FERMENTATION: Hand harvested, cold pre-fermentation maceration, natural yeast co-fermentation in tank
AGING: 12 months in concrete (80%) and French oak demi-muids (20%)

UPDATED CURBSIDE PICKUP INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Place your online order.
- You will receive 2 emails. The first will acknowledge receipt of your order and the second will let you know that your order is ready for pickup.

2) Please reply to the second email to tell us you want curbside pickup. IMPORTANT: If you have multiple orders to consolidate, please let us know as we will need extra time to get those to the front of the store!
- We will prepare your order(s), move them to the front of the store and send you a confirmation email that curbside pickup is ready.

3) Pull up in front of the store. There is no need to call when you arrive at the store – just roll down your passenger window and let us know the name on the order(s).
- We will put your order(s) in your vehicle. There is no need to step out of your vehicle.

Due to the large number of phone calls we have been receiving and the time it takes to consolidate orders, please reply to the email letting you know that your wine is ready for pickup and give us time stage and consolidate your order(s). There is no need to phone the store to arrange curbside pickup.