2023 Domaine du Cros - Fer Servadou Marcillac Lo Sang del Pais (750ml)

Domaine du Cros is run by third-generation winemaker Philippe Teulier in Marcillac, a tiny appellation in the Aveyron département of southwest France that dates back to vineyards first planted by monks from the Abbaye at Conques in the tenth century. At thirty-three hectares, the estate is the largest independent producer in the appellation, with vines reaching elevations of up to four hundred and fifty meters around the village of Clairvaux, planted on terraced hillsides of iron-rich clay locally known as rougier, dotted with outcroppings of limestone.

Lo Sang del Pais, meaning "the blood of the countryside" in the local Occitan dialect, is made entirely from Fer Servadou, called Mansois in the region, an obscure grape believed to have arrived from the Spanish side of the Basque country centuries ago and genetically linked to the Carmenère family. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and moved by gravity into tank, where they macerate for around three weeks with regular pump-overs before aging for several months in large oak and chestnut barrels, some up to two centuries old.

The wine shows a bright violet-ruby color with aromas of red currant, wild berries, black pepper, and a touch of ferrous minerality. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, and peppery, with fine tannins and good length. It pairs wonderfully with grilled lamb, aligot, or Laguiole cheese.