Agley Valley, Roussillon, France
Nestled in the rugged Agly Valley, west of Perpignan, Domaine Vinci’s 6 hectares of old-vine vineyards are surrounded by forest and rocky outcrops. The wines are profoundly mineral, with complexity and finesse, and perfectly express the wild terroir of this corner of Roussillon in the Côtes Catalanes. Olivier Varichon and Emmanuelle Vinci organically farm six hectares of vineyards, with parcels so isolated that they need not worry about chemical products from neighbors’ vineyards contaminating the rocky soils their vines call home. These stunning sites, nestled at high altitudes amid scraggly garrigue and perilous outcrops, are planted with very old vines that give absurdly low yields. Due to the parcels’ remote locations and steep grades, everything is worked by hand. All of Vinci’s bottlings express profound concentration and minerality from the clay, limestone, granite, and schist of this corner of the Roussillon. The wines are a testament to the potential of the rugged terroir as well as the Vinci philosophy, and it is truly an honor to represent wines of such purity and vitality.
Maquis captivates with its raspberry flavour, its marked by delicious tannic grain. This cuvée is made from Lledoner Pelut and comes from organic vineyards between the villages of Opoul and Espira de l'Agly. The clay-limestone altitude terroir and a controlled yield give this vintage aromas of pepper, red fruits, and a smooth and full palate. The grapes are vinified in concrete vats and fermented with indigenous yeasts. No fining or filtration, just silky, juicy goodness.