From: Côtes du Roussillon, Southern France
Varietals: mostly Grenache, blended with Syrah and Carignan
Mas Amiel is a large property – the biggest private cellar in Maury – located in the heart of the Agly valley, in France’s Roussillon region. This is Cathar country: it’s beautiful but rugged—a hot, rather hostile environment with rocky, stony soils, frequent windy weather, and 260 days of sunshine a year. Back in 1816, a bishop used one of his plots of land as a bet in a game of cards. He lost it to Raymond Amiel, and this is how Mas Amiel was born. At the time, it only had 10 hectares of vines on it; it has grown and evolved substantially since then.
Certified organic: made from grapes grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides in the vineyard.
Tasting Notes: Energetic aromas of raspberries, dark cherries, and rose petals flow from the glass. These flavors persist on the wine's ample and fresh palate, where they are underscored by a slight hint of spice and vibrant minerality derived from the schist-laden soils that nurtured the Grenache vines this wine comes from. This wine expresses the youthful energy of these vines in an upfront and precise way.
Pairing: Try this winel with Merguez sausage, a dish originally from the countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya that is widely enjoyed in the South of France. Alternatively, you could go with Kalbi short ribs or any type of grilled red meat.
