2023 Mas Amiel - Maury AOC Vintage Rouge (750ml)

Mas Amiel sits in the heart of the Maury appellation in Roussillon, and its history stretches back to 1816. Local legend holds that Raymond Amiel won the property from the Bishop of Perpignan in a card game. Olivier Decelle has led the estate since 1999. Today it farms about 150 hectares of vines across scores of separate parcels, beneath the ruins of the Cathar castle of Quéribus, using organic and biodynamic methods.

The Vintage Rouge is 100% Grenache Noir from south-facing schist soils on the lower and mid slopes of the Devèze sector, where bedrock lies 60 to 80 centimeters down. Grapes are harvested by hand, sorted twice, destemmed, and lightly crushed. Fermentation at 25°C in concrete and stainless steel is halted midway by adding grape spirit directly to the must, followed by 15 to 20 days on the skins. The wine then rests 10 months in a topped-up tank before bottling at about 17 percent alcohol.

The color is a brilliant deep purple. Freshly crushed blackberry, plum, and cassis mingle with sweet spice, licorice, and floral notes. The palate is sweet and warming yet balanced by fresh acidity, with layers of generous young fruit leading to a long finish. The estate suggests keeping it five to ten years.