2012 Dom. Mas de Lavail Maury Rouge Doux 375ml

The Batlle family has been growing grapes for five generations in Maury, home to Roussillion’s famous vins doux naturels. The domaine is superbly situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees at the foot of a Cathar castle in the upper Agly Valley. Their vineyards which sit on wild,and rocky terraces, are composed of black schist formed in patches between the white limestone cliffs that dominate the horizon. Surrounded by 80 hectares of vineyards planted to Grenache Noir, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, as well as Syrah and Carignan, they make powerful, well-structured and deeply aromatic IGP Côtes Catalanes and Côtes du Roussillon Villages. Their intense Maurys are said to be among the best of the region. To make this sweet wine, fermentation is stopped in the middle of the ‘solid’ phase in mid fermentation by adding neutral alcohol to capture the natural grape sugars. Alcoholic maceration continues for another three weeks.