Banyulsvins doux naturelsMuscatsRousillonRivelsaltes BanyulsColliourePierre Gaillard Banyuls

2002 Pags Banyuls15Jean BaillsMathieuBaillsGaillard

100% Grenache Gris

Banyuls

90g/l (99%) –

12

1,000

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.

Country of Origin:
France

Type:
White/Blanc (Still)

Grape Variety:
100% Grenache Gris

Terroir:

The parcels are situated at the bottom of the valleys, in the hinterland, offering the most warmth. Thanks to this location, the grapes of Banyuls achieve excellent maturity. The structure of the schist allows the vines roots to seek the resources it requires deep under the ground. As a result, the wines express freshness and finesse.

Winemaking:
Hand-picked harvest in the morning. Fermentation in vats. When about 90 g/l of residual sugar is left over, the wine is muted with pure alcohol (99% vol.). The wine is fermented in vats, and then placed in a container where it is matured without malolactic fermentation in view of conserving all its freshness.

Maturation:
12 months in barrels

Production:
1,000 bottles

Tasting notes:
Golden and very limpid, Asphodles exhales refined aromas of citrus (orange peel), of pear, of peach and of white flowers. The well-balanced palate is a combination of sweetness, depth and freshness.