To understand the wines of François Douville, it is helpful to imagine flying through the clouds and peering down at the patchwork of peaks and valleys that constitute the Pyrénées-Orientales. Train your lens on the magnificent Mount Canigou (Canigó in Catalan) and follow the long shadow it casts on the vines of Les Conques, nine hectares of grapes sprawled across twenty hectares of wilderness. Zoom in on a figure hunched between the rows, and you’ll wonder if it’s a bear lingering lovingly in the vines, having a relaxing lunch. It is in fact Francois, a self-described ours, a Catalan bear trailed by his mule Amandine and his dog Métis.

François is of another era, suspended in time and place between the Roussillon and Catalunya. His habitat is a place of shifting identities, bounded more by Mediterranean sensibilities than geographical borders. Like a bear lumbering through thickets of garrigue, François is happiest enveloped in nature. His shyness is endearing, and he is quick to mention he prefers the company of his vines, his mule, his dog, his wife Magalie and their children above all else. And yet, François speaks with such elegance, you’d think he spent his days conversing with poets and philosophers instead of animals and insects. He is a generous penpal; his dispatches read like this:

“I'm more talkative in my message today, because it finally rained (we've been in drought since last spring), so I stayed in the office. It's harder for me to be talkative when I'm pruning…tired from the day and the wind, I become a bear (careful, I repeat: the Pyrenées bear is very different from the US bear, nobody ever meets our bears, which are very discreet and live hidden in the mountains).”

His wines are missives, too, brimming with quiet intensity while maintaining the opulence we often associate with Roussillon. His whites are lush yet remain deft and bright. His pet’nat mimics frizzante reds (in the vein of a Côtes du Roussillon Lambrusco), and his Rivesaltes balances gentle sweetness with generous structure.

These are wines that encourage us to be inquisitive, to redraw our own borders in our heads, and focus on the soul of the thing.

DOMAINE LES CONQUES

Country: France

Region: Roussillon

Sub-region or Appellation: Côtes du Roussillon (for still wines) & Rivesaltes (for vin doux naturel)

Winemakers and Owners: Francois Douville

Viticulture: Certified Organic

Terroir: Clay, schist, marble

Size: 20 hectare in total, with 9 hectares under vine

Website: www.lesconques.fr
Instagram: @domainelesconques

DOMAINE LES CONQUES :: La Bohème

From vines originally planted in the 1950s and 60s to make sweet wine, this aromatic blend of 50/50 Grenache Gris and Macabeu makes for a fresh take on a lush Catalan white. Aromas of jasmine flowers, brioche and hints of fennel.

Vintage: 2022
Grapes: Grenache Gris (50%), Macabeu (50%)
Style: Orange Wine
ABV: 13.8%
Region: Roussillon
Sub-Region or Appellation: AOP Côtes du Roussillon
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Age of Vines: 70 years
Soils: Clay, schist
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Two day maceration followed by one week of cold-stablization. One third of the fermentation occurs in barrique. The Macabeu is picked early to preserve acidity, and the Grenache Gris lends a rich, festive color.
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal

DOMAINE LES CONQUES :: Nonette

A lightly effervescent Mourvèdre that marries juicy dark red fruits, delicate tannins and an earthy crunch on the finish. Think Lambrusco, but French Catalunya.

Vintage: 2022
Grapes: Mourvèdre
Style: Frizzante Red
ABV: 12%
Region: Roussillon
Sub-Region or Appellation: AOP Côtes du Roussillon
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Age of Vines: 40-70 years
Soils: Clay, schist, sand, marble
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Méthode ancestrale
Aging: In bottle
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal

DOMAINE LES CONQUES :: Casa

This amber-colored vin doux naturel from AOC Rivesaltes is a 50/50 blend of 70-year-old Macabeu and Grenache Gris vines. This delectable sweet wine undergoes over 10 years of aging in 500 L barriques (sans soufre!), and the result in bottle is a lyrical progression of aromas: citrus fruits, candied oranges, cinnamon, tobacco leaf, caramel, honey, gingerbread. 80-100g/L RS.

Vintage: 2008
Grapes: Grenache Gris (50%), Macabeu (50%)
Style: Sweet Wine
ABV: 18%
Region: Roussillon
Sub-Region or Appellation: Rivesaltes
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Age of Vines: 70 years
Soils: Clay, Schist
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Rivesaltes Hors d‘Age, fermentation is halted to retain sweetness
Aging: 500L barrels
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added