The story of Mas Amiel begins in 1816 when Raymond Amiel won the deeds to the property from the Bishop of Perpignan in a game of cards. If the game were poker this would be quite a story – if you believe it – but what makes this event all the more remarkable is that the two were actually playing an early version of the classic card game ‘Old Maid’. If only fate had taken a different turn that night, the bishop would have paired Monsieur & Madame Raisin the winemakers, Amiel would have been left, red-faced, holding the Old Maid, and the property in question would have fallen to the church. But thankfully there was no divine intervention on the night. The bishop left, fleeced of what could have been a prime source of communion wine, and Mas Amiel was born. After a chequered career the estate was purchased by a Charles Dupuy who cultivated it until his death in 1916. Charles’s son, Jean took over and started to produce high quality wine under the Mas Amiel label. He extended the vineyard, digging up the hillside to plant new vines.
The Maury Blanc is from old Grenache Gris vines on schistous slopes. Yields are a miserly 15hl/ha, Vinification is at 18c followed by a mutage to adjust the alcohol. The wine is then aged in tank on the fine lees. It has a beautiful limpid colour with hints of green and a mineral stone evoking warm stones and orange blossom which develops further with aeration to unveil fresh brioche and pollen. In the mouth it is lively, round and supple and unleashes panoply of flavours: boxwood, star fruit, mandarin and juniper to name but few. Thon mi cuit au sel de Guérande et fenouil, langouste tiède aux agrumes, soupe de fruits blancs au gingembre.
The Maury Rouge is made in the same style as the rimage wines of Banyuls. From 100% Grenache Noir grown on the south-facing broken schists and marne soils and yields of 25 hl/ha, the grapes are subsequently sorted, destemmed and vinified in the normal way. The alcohol is added while the wine is still in the vat (mutage sur les grains), which slows down the final fermentation, allowing a longer period of maceration and thereby conferring greater richness. This Maury is ruby with violet tints and the nose eloquently expresses framboise, cherry and crème-de-cassis. It is smooth in the mouth, the red fruits reinforced by bitter chocolate and spice as well as fine tannins.

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Maury Vintage Rouge 2020 - Mas Amiel - Rousillon, France 75cl