This is a wine to fall in love with! Powerful, fruit filled nose, with delicious spices and toasty notes. Then the taste is rich, full and round, more akin to something out of Chateauneuf de Pape. This is wine-making of the highest order and when you realise how small the project is and the level of love and care that goes into every bottle, it sums up everything that Vinique looks for in a discovery wine. We love it!

PRODUCER:	Amistat
REGION:	Roussillon, Southern France
APPELLATION:	Vind de France
VINTAGE:	2015
BLEND:	100% Grenache Noir
USE OF OAK:	New and seasoned French oak
AGING:	12 months
AGE OF VINES:	75 years
ORGANIC:	Not certified
PRODUCTION:	3,000 bottles

CHARACTERISTICS

Mid, dark red in colour, the nose is warm and full with lots of sweet red and dark fruits,  spice, luscious caramel and toasty notes. In the mouth, the wine has real volume with fruits dominating initially, then slightly softer tannins than the 2013 with good acidity, lead into a very integrated, lingering finish. Like the tannins, oak is well integrated and in no way detracts from the purity of the wine. It is likely to age extremely well and has at least 10 years of legs in it. Beautiful with a matching, meaty dinner.

  THE WINERY

2 friends from the Perpignan region (Julien Ditté and Olivier Cazenave) having spent a number of years working for other wineries, took the decision one night over a glass of wine that they could do better on their own. With limited funds, it was only ever going to be a small project, but with their years of local knowledge, they were able to find 2 of the best old vines parcels in the region. One for a red (3,000 bottles) and one for a white (1,500 bottles). They then pursued winemaking of the most extreme order and in the most natural way. Super rigorous vine management, limited intervention, very long fermentations and long, careful aging to produce some incredible wines. So small, they are way below the radar of the critics at the moment, but we are convinced that when they do hit the map, the wines are going to get fantastic acclaim. In the meantime, we can all enjoy the fact we got ahead of the pack with an outstanding discovery winery! As a way of demonstrating just how particular they are, the bottles are wax topped by hand and stamped one by one by Julien’s daughter!