Domaine de La Rectorie – Banyuls Cuvée Pierre Rapidel – 2008

Banyuls, the lands are burnt by the sun but at the same time ventilated by the sea breeze. Vineyards are low bush vines protected from sun by a cap of foliage which allows grapes to reach a slow and correct ripeness. The slopes are very high for this reason they are cultivated on stone terraces, a factor that makes viticulture very tiring. Vineyards that from 450 meters descend to the sea, planted on a hard rock of schist and covered by a very light layer of white clayey soil rich in pebbles. In this place of border with Spain in 1984 Parcé brothers founded Domaine de la Rectorie, today the winery owns 35 hectares of vineyards divided in about thirty plots. Considered as one of the most representative wineries of this area, the grapes cultivated are the traditional Grenache noir, Carignan, Mourvedre, Cournoise and Syrah. For Banyuls Traditionnel the yields per hectare are very low, sometimes lower than 20 hl, the grapes of Grenache Noir and Carignan come from ancient saplings which ripen until they shrivel up on the plant, after 8 years of aging in centenarian casks we can taste an intoxicating wine, intense with a long and persistent finish. Try it with chocolate, amazing!

• Producer: Domaine de La Rectorie
• Name: Banyuls Cuvée Pierre Rapidel
• Grape Variety: 90% Grenache noir, 10% carignan
• Vintage: 2008
• Alcohol Content: 17,5%
• Bottle Size: 500ml

Productive Notes: 4 days of fermentation, with the addition of alcohol during maceration on skins. Maceration lasts 20 days in total. Aging for 8 years in 100 year old casks.