Wines

Thomas’s “L’Esprit de l’Horizon” Blanc is a blend of 80% Macabeu (from 55-year-old vines) and 20% Muscat, vinified partially in concrete tank and partially in large oak (Stockinger, of course). Clocking in at a beautiful and digestible 12% alcohol, this is a wine of pure minerality—with bell-toll-clear, ringing notes of stones and powdered lime. The acidity is positively vivacious, and the finish is a long decrescendo of honey-tinged citrus fruits and deep rock. A sense of mineral-drenched extract lingers on the tongue for quite some time, almost mimicking tannin in its cling and resonance.

Fermented entirely in large Stockinger barrels, the “Domaine” white wine is a breathtaking achievement of pure minerality. Produced from very old inter-planted vineyards, this wine comprises roughly equal parts Macabeu and Grenache Gris—but these varieties are mere vehicles for the impenetrable stone wall of the wine itself. During our visit, Thomas presented us versions of this wine going back to 2011, and its ability to evolve compellingly and shockingly was blatant and thrilling. We dare you to find a grand cru Chablis that can offer this sort of layered mineral essence and electric resonance after five years of aging.

The Domaine’s rosé, coming from 70-year old Grenache vines planted on Calce’s emblematic brown and black slate soils, brings serious aging potential and staggering complexity—a perfect pairing for many hard-to-match dishes.

“Mar y Muntanya” (“Sea and Mountains” in Catalan) combines 45% each Syrah and Carignan with a splash of Grenache, raised in a mix of cement vat and large oak barrel. Semi-carbonic maceration gives this wine a certain lift and fruit-driven exuberance, though its easygoing vinification does nothing to hamper its expression of stoniness and garrigue-y depth. This wine has the spirit of a Côte de Beaune rouge, showing just how distinct Calce is from its neighbor Languedoc-Roussillon. It may lack the imposing depth of L’Horizon’s more serious wines, but it’s hard to imagine one from this region that is more satisfyingly delicious.

The “L’Esprit” Rouge comprises 60% Carignan and 40% Syrah, from vines between 15 and 30 years of age (as of 2015), and the Syrah, originally planted by Gauby, is actually some of the oldest Syrah in the area. Thomas leaves about one-third whole clusters during the vinification in order to provide spice, structure, and complexity, and the wine spends one year in a blend of foudres and demi-muids—all used. As with all the red wines, pigeage is performed sparingly, and only by foot—and remontage is employed as the main means of extraction. The end result is arresting in its combination of complexity and litheness—a southern French wine of this succulent depth and herb-tinged complexity at only 12.5% alcohol? Believe it.

Produced from two-thirds Carignan and one-third Grenache, from vines between 40 and 120 years of age (as of 2015), the 2013 struggled to achieve a yield of 15 hectoliters per hectare. The nose offers intense black cherry with pungent mineral depth and ultra-high-toned but savory herbal accents. It feels young but tastes great, and, as we learned from a little vertical stretching back to 2008, this wine will blossom into something pure and inviting.