VINYER DE LA RUCA
Ellittico 2022
Roussillon, France
From a secluded spot down by the river in Banyuls, this is one of the coolest sites in the area and one of the most beautiful vineyards we have seen. A blend of Carignan and Grenache from vines up to forty years old planted over sand and schist, this is destemmed by hand, foot stomped and spends just two days on skins followed by a year in large old casks. Heady with berries and woody herbs, this is a wine with a wonderful sense of place.
Carignan, Grenache
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Vinyer de la Ruca is the project of Manuel Di Vecchi Staraz, who is originally from Tuscany, but was drawn to Banyuls-sur-Mer by the dramatic landscape and unique way of life.
Manuel looks after a number of small parcels of old vines of Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre a few hundred metres from the Mediterranean at the foot of the Pyrénées. The grapes grow on old bush vines, many on sheer shale terraces which run along walls of dry stone. They are battered by wind from the sea and bathed in Mediterranean sun. Nearby, Manuel also looks after an old vineyard of Carignan planted over sandstone northwest of Perpignan in Latour-de-France, from which he produces the cuvée Orcio Judas.
Tended without machines or chemicals, Manuel works the vineyards by hand, using a pioche, or with the help of his mule, Ullamp. The yields here are amongst the lowest in France.
Once in the cellar, the grapes are crushed by foot, destemmed by hand, fermented naturally and aged in old barrels or terracotta amphorae. The wines are bottled with no additions and the old vines, unique climate and an artist’s touch produce wines with a concentration and intensity of flavour that is very much unique.
Alongside these, Manuel also produces a range of easygoing wines under the label Tutti Frutti Ananas. These are made from both a parcel he tends in Collioure, along with a couple farmed organically by friends in nearby Port-Vendres and Argelès-sur-Mer. These are bottled young, brimming with life and are the kind of laidback, uplifting wines people reach for every day on the Mediterranean.