Our notes:

Winemaker Pierre Gaillard had always been fascinated by the beauty of the Banyuls countryside and the huge potential of the terroir. In 2002, he purchased the old estate of Robert Pagès and went into partnership with Jean Baills and his son Mathieu, owners of a 15-hectare vineyard in Banyuls. The combination of Baills’s knowledge of the terroir and Gaillard’s talents as a winemaker and well-equipped cellar, has resulted in a rejuvenation of both the vineyards and the wines.

Banyuls are vins doux naturels, fortified sweet wines, akin to our own Muscats and similar to, but a step above, the Rivesaltes produced in the rest of Roussillon. The grapes, which are mainly Grenache, with smaller amounts of Grenache Gris, Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah, are harvested late in the season and often partly shrivelled. The grapes are crushed and fermented, however the fermentation is arrested prior to completion thanks to the addition of neutral grape spirit. The point at which the ferment is stopped determines the final natural sweetness of the wine. The must then rests on skins to macerate for around five weeks so the maximum range of flavour compounds can be drawn into the young wine. From here, élevage differs depending on the desired result.