Négrette is one of those varieties that smells and tastes like it sounds: There’s lots of black fruit, black pepper, and charcoal notes. This is Fronton’s calling-card red. There’s a hint of smoke along with some wild herb and brambly berry notes. “La Folle Noire d’Ambat” is a fresh, lively red for pairing with coq au vin, steak au poivre…anything from the bistro canon.
The Fronton AOC is north of Toulouse, spreading across low hills between the Tarn and Garonne Rivers. The soils vary based on the proximity of vineyards to either river, though most are on gravelly, sandy terraces. The region’s positioning is such that it feels Atlantic, Mediterranean, and “continental” influences—overall, it rains less here than in Bordeaux and is marginally warmer.
Jean-Luc and Frédéric Ribes took over their family’s Domaine Le Roc in 1981, and over the years they’ve converted their 38 hectares of vineyards to organics. A younger generation of the Ribes family is slowly taking over operations of a farm that is considered one of the pioneering producers in the Fronton appellation.
This 100% Négrette is sourced from 30-year-old vines rooted in clay soils that are rich in silica and iron oxide. Grapes are gravity-fed into open-topped fermenters without crushing, after which fermentation lasts roughly two weeks. Aging is carried out in used, 20-hectoliter oak casks, usually for about eight months before bottling.
