Mas Amiel - Initial 2018
Mas Amiel is located in Maury, in Roussillon. In 1816, around a gaming table, the bishop of Perpignan was opposed to an engineer, Raymond Etienne Amiel. The clergyman ends up betting on one of his lands, called Domaine des Goudous. Luck is not on his side and the estate changes hands. The property then has 10 hectares of vines in the middle of the garrigue. In 1907, Mas Amiel was taken over by Charles Dupuy who ran the estate until his death in 1916. His son Jean took over when he returned from the war. He developed and produced a natural sweet wine under the brand "Mas Amiel". His son, Charles, will continue the expansion until 1997. The estate will be taken over in 1999 by Olivier Decelle. Today, the 170 hectares of vines are divided into 130 plots and the grapes are used to produce Vins Doux Naturels as well as Maury Sec, AOC recognised in 2011. The estate is certified organic since 2014.
Initial comes from a selection of 17 plots. It is a blend of Grenache Noir, Carignan and Syrah, the age of the vines varies between 25 and 45 years. The harvest is manual and the grapes are completely destemmed. Each plot is vinified separately. The wine is vinified in concrete vats as well as in wooden vats. The wines are then blended; 10% in wooden vats and 90% in concrete vats. The aging lasts 10 months.
Grape varieties: Grenache, Carignan, Syrah