Banyuls vins doux naturelsMuscats Rousillon Rivelsaltes Banyuls Collioure Pierre Gaillard Banyuls

2002 Pags Banyuls15 Jean Baills Mathieu Baills Gaillard

500ml

(Solera)

90 % Grenache Noir, 10 % Grenache Gris

Banyuls Solera 1030%

Domaine Pags 1921 1962 Solera Solera of Domaine Madeloc Hors d’Age (Beyond Aged) Solera,

2003 Solera

For the uninitiated, Banyuls are vins doux naturels, fortified sweet wines, akin to their own Muscats and similar to, but a step above, the Rivesaltes produced in the rest of Roussillon. These delicious sweet wines, some of the best kept secrets in the portfolio, hail from parcels on the spectacular schist terraces that hug the coastline as it twists around the Mediterranean between the little ports of Banyuls and Collioure. Pierre Gaillard had always been fascinated by the rugged beauty of the Banyuls countryside as by the huge potential of the terroir.

In 2002, he purchased the old estate of Pags and went into partnership with Jean Baills and his son Mathieu, owners of a 15ha vineyard in Banyuls. The combination of Baills knowledge of the terroir and Gaillards talents as a winemaker, as well as a well-equipped cellar has resulted in a rejuvenation of both the vineyards and the wines.

Package: 500 ml

Country of Origin:
France

Type:
Dessert Wine (Solera)

Grape Varieties:
90 % Grenache Noir, 10 % Grenache Gris

Vinification:

The winemaking techniques are similar to those of Banyuls but the maturing techniques are different. The Solera method entails the use of rows of barrels stacked one upon the other. Each row represents a vintage and can include up to 10 years. The wine to be bottled is taken
from the bottom row (the oldest), on the floor, with a percentage limited to 30% from each barrel. The empted wine is replaced with wine from the row above and so on…
Domaine Pags had a Solera that began in 1921 and which continued through to 1962. After this date the wines were blended in a big cask. This blend is used today as the base wine for the Solera of Domaine
Madeloc. Hors D’Age means ‘beyond aged’, thus it implied this bottle contributed by every best part of 40+ years which means it contained the hard work of few generations of their family.

Tasting Notes:
A nose exhaling walnuts, sultana aromas and chocolate on the palate. The finish is underscored by a never-ending finish with constantly evolving aromas such as chocolate, coffee grounds, roasted caramel
and forest undergrowth. In 2003, the Solera was again privileged at the Domaine and provides the basis for this vintage. Perfect at the end of a meal, goes very well with a cigar.