Roucas Toumba, a small vineyard owned by the Bouletin family in the town of Vacqueyras, took its name—meaning “the fallen rock” in old Provençal—from the ancient name of the area. The family is one of the oldest in the village, with records containing the Bouletin name dating back to 1580. Eric Bouletin, the current winemaker, dropped out of school when he was 16, after his father died, to help his mother with the 4-hectare domaine (planted mostly in 80+-year-old vines of Grenache).
He sold his grapes to a co-op until 2000, when he decided to build his own cellar and bottle his production. Today, he farms 16 hectares. As Eric has always felt close to nature, it seemed natural to cultivate his vines organically. “Remain free, live off the land” has been Eric’s goal since he started. In addition to the winemaking, Eric also serves as the artist for many of the estate’s labels. The “Restanques de Cabassole” is completely destemmed, vinified in concrete tanks, and aged for 18 months in 500- and 225-liter barrels.
