Domaine Le Roc Des Anges : Imalaya 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Imalaya 2022 from Domaine Le Roc des Anges

Tasting

Colour

The colour unfolds in a radiant golden hue, luminous and brilliant, reflecting a dry white wine from old vines that have reached beautiful ripeness.

Nose

The nose opens with notes of white fruit and citrus, underpinned by a mineral touch evoking stone, which from the very first moments conveys an impression of freshness and salinity.

Palate

The palate is dry, fresh and remarkably linear, driven by a pronounced minerality that carries through to a saline, energetic finish.

Food and Wine Pairing

This wine pairs beautifully with fish, whether steamed or served in a sauce, as well as with seafood, whose briny freshness and salinity it brings to the fore.

Serving and Cellaring

Imalaya 2022 can be enjoyed now, ideally served between 10 and 12°C. It can also be decanted to reveal its aromas fully. This wine can also be cellared until around 2032.

A Dry, Mineral White from Roussillon, Crafted by Domaine Le Roc des Anges

The Estate

Founded in 2001 by Marjorie Gallet, then joined by Stéphane Gallet, Domaine Le Roc des Anges is established in northern Catalonia, in the heart of Roussillon, around the villages of Montner and Latour-de-France. The vineyard, farmed organically, rests on schist and granite soils worked with great rigour. Thibault Ponthier took over the majority of the estate at the end of 2023 and is now its owner and manager, with the founders ensuring a smooth transition. He continues in the style established by the Gallets, focusing on old vines and native Catalan grape varieties.

The Vineyard

The Imalaya cuvée comes from a small plot of Carignan Gris planted in 1961 in Tarerach, at the western edge of Roussillon, on the foothills of the Pyrenees. Organically farmed at an altitude of around 500 metres, this old vine is rooted in granitic soils, a terroir that favours slow ripening and preserves pronounced natural acidity. The wine is classified as IGP Côtes Catalanes, a designation that gives the estate the freedom to express this rare grape variety in all its singularity.

Winemaking and Maturation

Like all of the estate's white wines, Imalaya 2022 is made according to a minimalist winemaking philosophy, with hand-harvested grapes and gentle pressing designed to preserve the freshness of the fruit. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts, followed by maturation in neutral vessels, with no new oak, allowing the minerality of the granitic terroir to express itself fully.

Grape Variety

100% Carignan Gris, a rare and almost forgotten grape variety of Roussillon.