Domaine du Mas Blanc Banyuls “d’Antan” 2006 375ml

From the Importer:

About Banyuls AOP-Banyuls is the finest and most complex of France’s fortified Vin Doux Naturels, a dark wine borne of sea, sun and stone. It emerges from one of the most spectacular terroirs in all of France: a terraced patchwork of steep, windswept vineyards set hard by the Spanish border, where the Pyrénées tumble into the Mediterranean Sea. Co-extensive with Collioure, its schist-dominated vineyards rise to altitudes of 750 meters and retain the distinctive “feixas” terraces and stone-lined canals known locally as “les agulles” (“the needles”), constructed centuries ago to prevent erosion and manage the region’s infrequent but often torrential downpours. With old vines and exceedingly low yields, production is necessarily tiny. Banyuls can be made white, rosé or red, but the large majority of wine produced is red, and Grenache noir, gris and blanc form the backbone of any blend.

Bottled in August 2017, the Banyuls ‘d’Antan’ 2006 was hand-harvested and vinified in traditional fashion: foot-trodden and fermented with native yeasts in stainless-steel tanks. 100% Grenache noir, it has the warmth and rigor of an old farmer’s handshake. Enjoy with creamy blue-veined cow’s milk cheeses, with nuts and dark chocolates. Best served at cellar temperature.