2023 Mas Amiel - Vertigo Rouge Cotes de Roussillon AOC (750ml)

Mas Amiel traces its roots to 1816, when Raymond Amiel reportedly won the estate from the Bishop of Perpignan in a card game. Set in the Agly Valley near Maury, at the foot of the Cathar fortress of Quéribus and sheltered between the Corbières hills and the Pyrenees, the domaine built its early reputation on vins doux naturels. Since Olivier Decelle acquired the property in 1999, Mas Amiel has modernized its winemaking and expanded into dry wines, becoming one of the first estates to release a wine under the AOC Maury Sec designation.

Vertigo comes from young parcels planted on schist and limestone-schist slopes, farmed biodynamically, with vines generally between five and twenty years old. The blend leans on Grenache noir, rounded out with Syrah and a touch of Carignan. Grapes are hand-picked, sorted twice on a vibrating table, destemmed, and fermented in concrete tank to protect the wine's natural brightness, with yields kept intentionally low.

The 2023 vintage is lively and youthful, with aromas of rose petal and red berries leading into flavors of cherry and a distinct mineral edge from the schist soils. Fresh and fruit-driven on the palate, it pairs nicely with grilled sausages, spring vegetables, or a light tapas spread.