# La Soif du Mal Blanc (2025)

- **Producer:** Les Foulards Rouges
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Macabeu, Muscat d'Alexandrie, Vermentino
- **Region:** Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €20
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, lemon, blossom, orange, grapefruit

## About this wine

Domaine Les Foulards Rouges was founded in 2002 by Jean-François Nicq in Montesquieu-des-Albères, located in the Roussillon region near the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean coast. Nicq previously spent over a decade as head winemaker at the renowned Les Vignerons d'Estézargues cooperative in the Rhône Valley, where he perfected natural winemaking methodologies. The estate's name, 'The Red Scarves', pays tribute to political activism and Frédéric Fajardie's neo-noir literature. The cuvée name 'La Soif du Mal' is a direct homage to Orson Welles' film noir classic Touch of Evil. The vineyards are cultivated on decomposed granite soils using organic and biodynamic practices, with animal traction utilized for soil management.

## Interesting facts

- The cuvée name 'La Soif du Mal' translates to 'Thirst for Evil', referencing Orson Welles' classic film noir Touch of Evil.
- Winemaker Jean-François Nicq uses a mule named Uma to work the vineyard soil without mechanical compaction.
- The estate vineyards sit less than 10 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea on ancient decomposed granite soils.

## Food pairing

The energetic acidity and vivid, aromatic nature of this natural white wine pair seamlessly with fresh, high-acid ingredients like citrus, vinaigrettes, and fresh goat cheeses. Seafood and shellfish benefit from the wine's crisp character, which acts as a refreshing palate cleanser without clashing with delicate proteins.

## Wine making process

Harvesting is conducted entirely by hand using small 13 kg crates to protect fruit integrity. The winemaking process involves direct pressing followed by fermentation in temperature-controlled vats at 15°C utilizing strictly indigenous yeasts. No sulfur dioxide is added at any point during fermentation or bottling. The wine undergoes aging for four months in stainless steel and fiberglass tanks to preserve purity before bottling unfined and unfiltered in February following harvest.