Mas Amiel - AOC Maury 'Legende' organic 2019

Wine region: Languedoc Roussillon - France

Grapes: Grenach (80%), Syrah (20%)

Tasting notes:

Melted tannins, expressing intrinsic freshness and vivacity. They are powdery with good presence, but always very refined. Richness, strength and great aromatic depth are the features of these old Grenache and Carignan vines planted in calcium-rich schist.

Expert Rating

'An 80-20 blend of Grenache and Carignan, the 2019 Maury Sec Legende comes from a parcel of vines that was planted in 1949. Scents of crushed stone and lavender appear on the nose, backed by an attractive mix of cherries and raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, this seems a bit less taut and etched than previous vintages but perhaps a bit more generous, with a rich, velvety texture to the finish. It should drink well for at least another 6-7 years.'

About the winery:

The 170 ha of Mas Amiel vines are located in the South of France between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains.

In 1816, a bishop bet one of his plots of land at a gaming table and lost it to Raymond Etienne Amiel. At that time, the property consisted only of 10ha of vines. Destroyed by the phylloxera in 1865, the estate was replanted with American vines and a cellar was built.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Jean Dupuy produced the first natural sweet wine branded Mas Amiel. The estate continued to expand throughout the whole century. In 1999, Olivier Decelle took over Mas Amiel and developed the property into a world-renowned benchmark.