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Wine Specs
Vintage
2020
Varietal
90% Grenache, 10% Carignan
Appellation
AOP Banyuls Controlee
Alcohol %
17.5
Domaine de La Rectorie
2020 Cuvée Léon Parcé
6 In Stock
Deep red, lusciously scented with blackberries and raspberries, maraschino, marzipan, mint, rosemary, candied red fruits, and sweet spices. The mouth is powerful, lending a sense of invigoration and counterpoint to what might otherwise seem seamlessly sweet. The luscious flavors are grounded in notes of bitter chocolate and brown spices which add further charm to the long, soothing yet stimulating finish of a seductive treat.
The marriage with chocolate is a great classic, and it must be said that the tannins of cocoa and those of Grenache have astonishing similarities! Other pairings are possible, especially with gorgonzola, in spring with red fruit soups and in autumn with foie gras and fresh fig and plum coulis!
Wine Description
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Wine Specs
Vintage
2020
Varietal
90% Grenache, 10% Carignan
Appellation
AOP Banyuls Controlee
Alcohol %
17.5
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
The dramatic Banyuls area on the edge of the Mediterranean coast is just a stone's throw from the Spanish border. Banyuls, a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, is the southernmost corner of the Roussillon region. The family estate of more than 100 years farms 30 hectares of mountainous vineyards spread over 30 small parcels, all with different exposures, altitudes, grape varieties, soils and proximity to the sea. The vines, exposed to the roughness of the climate, produce wines of exceptional expression: rich, powerful, elegant and racy, carrying within them the warmth of the sun and the rustic earthiness of the schist soil.
Production Notes
After a maceration of a few days of the juice with the skins and seeds, the fermentation ends before full conversion of the grape sugars to alcohol by adding neutral alcohol (96°), which kills the yeast and allows all remaining sugar from the grapes to remain without conversion to alcohol. Hence the name ‘vin doux naturel’, naturally sweet wine. After the ‘mutage’ (killing of the yeast) the maceration is allowed to continue for two or three weeks during which time the alcohol will extract the fabulous aromas of the grape juice, skins and seeds. These wines called ‘mutage en grains’ (the Anglo-Saxons say fortified) are the speciality of Banyuls because they have, thanks to very ripe grapes with high sugar levels and the discovery of this vinification method centuries ago, a surprising balance from their youth of rich fruit aromas, acidity and tannic structure. This vinous character gives them a rare drinkability appreciated by neophytes and gourmets alike. The “Léon Parcé” cuvée is created from the best and oldest vines of the estate, are harvested a little later than the rest of the Grenache, and after fermentation and mutage the wine is aged 18 months in old barrels.
Winemaker Notes
Domaine de la Rectorie is owned by the Parcé family several generations after their grandfather and grandmother created the domaine. Previously, grapes were taken to the local cooperative - which today handles 70% of the region's grapes - but in 1984 it was decided that production would be taken back into family hands, to resume the practice of their great-grandparents from whom they inherited the estate. In 1984 the Domaine de la Rectorie was developed thanks to collective work that followed a dream, the ambition not being to put their name on the label, but to advance a common, collective work. Pedro Soler, Thierry Parcé, Marc Parcé, Jules Campadieu, Jean-François Camou, and many others, all brought their hand to the building of the current domaine and their wines.
Food Pairing Notes
The marriage with chocolate is a great classic, and it must be said that the tannins of cocoa and those of Grenache have astonishing similarities! Other pairings are possible, especially with gorgonzola, in spring with red fruit soups and in autumn with foie gras and fresh fig and plum coulis!
Other Notes
Ageability: It has a very long aging potential (more than 20 years), but can also be drunk now while it’s young with its aromas of red fruits.