Les Foulards Rouges Montesquieu-des-Albères, Roussillon
Jean-François Nicq is one of the pioneers of natural wine in the northern Roussillon — carbonic, communal, and unapologetically drinkable.
The Winemaker
A geologist from Lille who found his calling in the foothills of the Pyrenees, after a decade at the Vignerons d'Estézargues cooperative.
Jean-François Nicq studied geology before enrolling in oenology in Mâcon, where Thierry Puzelat introduced him to natural wine. He spent twelve years as chief winemaker at the Estézargues cooperative in the Gard, then moved south in 2002 to Montesquieu-des-Albères — alongside contemporaries Bruno Duchêne and Jean-Louis Tribouley, following in the footsteps of Alain Castex. [^120^][^121^]
His parents were teachers and communist activists; the estate name, Les Foulards Rouges, nods to that legacy. The cellar is filled with music — Moriarty, Cesária Évora — and the conversation glides between cinema, literature, philosophy, and vine health. [^120^]
In the Cellar
Carbonic maceration for almost everything; no additives; bottled by hand before the summer heat arrives.
Grapes are chilled for 24 hours before being loaded whole-cluster into tanks filled with CO₂. Intracellular fermentation lasts 1–3 weeks depending on the cuvée, producing wines that are supple, round, and saturated with fresh fruit. The reds are then aged briefly in large used barrels and bottled by hand without fining or filtration. [^55^]
Exceptions to the carbonic rule are Frida and the Grenache cuvée, which see more conventional destemmed fermentation. Whites and rosés are directly pressed and vinified solely in tank to preserve freshness. Sulphur is used sparingly — typically only for very early bottlings. [^55^]
Technical Profile
~15–20 ha
Total vineyard area
15–20 hl/ha
Low yields
20–45+ yrs
Vine age range
Hand / Mule
Tillage (Uma the mule)
Gneiss / Granite
Decomposed granitic arenas
0–1 g/hl
Added SO₂ (early bottlings only)
Viticulture
- Farming Certified organic since 2002
- Soils Decomposed gneiss and granite; poor, sandy topsoil on lower plots; bare bedrock on hillsides
- Pruning Gobelet (bush vine); massale selection from local nursery
- Tillage Lightly worked by mule (Uma); cover crops of legumes, rye, clover
- Yields 15–20 hl/ha
- Harvest By hand; multiple passes; chilled 24 hours before vinification
Cellar Protocol
- Yeast Indigenous / spontaneous only
- Maceration Carbonic (1–3 weeks) for most reds; conventional for Frida & Grenache
- Vessels Inox or cement tanks for fermentation; large used barrels for aging
- Pressing Traditional or pneumatic
- Fining None
- Filtration None
- Sulphites Minimal; only for early bottlings
- Bottling By hand at the estate; usually before summer
Albères
Easternmost Pyrenees; foothills at ~100m elevation
Sea
6 miles inland; Mediterranean breeze at night
Gneiss
Decomposed granite; lighter, fresher soils than Agly
Tramontane
Dry north wind; natural mildew defence
Key Cuvées
Technical Data per ReleaseLa Soif du Mal
From the lower, flatter parcels on sandier decomposed granite. The most immediate and quaffable of the range. Carbonic maceration, short élevage. Bright red fruit, spice, and a gentle schist grip. Designed for early drinking.
Le Fonds de l'Air est Rouge
Another lower-terrace cuvée, slightly more structured than La Soif du Mal. Carbonic maceration, blended after fermentation. Supple, with a darker fruit profile and a whisper of wild herbs. A crowd-pleaser with hidden depth.
Octobre
The notorious "nouveau" cuvée — released the October immediately following harvest, beating Beaujolais Nouveau to the punch. Carbonic, bottled ultra-fresh. Vibrant, crunchy, and deliberately made for immediate, joyful consumption.
Les Glaneurs
From 45-year-old Grenache vines planted on granite in the hillside foothills. Destemmed, not carbonic. More density and structure than the carbonic cuvées. Dark berry, garrigue, and a firm mineral backbone. [^123^][^131^]
Frida
From an isolated hillside plot at 100m, head-pruned, directly on bedrock with barely any topsoil. Destemmed fermentation — one of the few non-carbonic reds. More density, savoury depth, and a taut, mineral finish. A wine of place.
Les Vilains
Another hillside, head-pruned parcel. Isolated and fractured across small plots. More density and tension than the valley-floor wines. Carbonic maceration but with a darker, more serious profile. Precision and silkiness in equal measure. [^133^]
Grenache
A single-variety cuvée from hillside head-pruned vines. Destemmed, conventional fermentation. Showcases the purity of old-vine Grenache on granitic soils — kirsch, wild strawberry, and a fine, dusty tannin. More structured than the carbonic wines.
Terre de Feu Blanc
Direct-press white from old Grenache Gris and Macabeu. Vinified only in tank to preserve freshness. Aged on lees with minimal stirring. Textured, saline, and quietly complex — stone fruit, almond, and a long, mineral close. No malolactic in most vintages.
Contact & Visits
Les Foulards Rouges
2 Chemin du Roi
66740 Montesquieu-des-Albères
France
Also listed
10 Chemin du Roi
66740 Montesquieu-des-Albères
Get in Touch
Winemaker
Jean-François Nicq
Phone
+33 6 75 73 48 65 +33 4 68 54 24 12Website
domainelesfoulardsrouges.frCave & Tastings
Visits by appointment. The cellar is in Montesquieu-des-Albères, at the foot of the Albera Massif — roughly 6 miles inland from the Mediterranean coast. Tastings are informal and usually conducted by Jean-François himself. Best to email ahead, especially during harvest (August–September).
Distribution
Available through natural wine importers across Europe and select markets in the US, UK, and Australia.