Banyul’s Grand Cru from Les Clos des Paulilles was produced for the first time in the 2013 vintage. It is made from 100% Grenache Noir, which is sourced from several high-lying plots (approx. 200 m.a.s.l.) on the property, which is laid out in terraces and on slate-bearing slopes, where the wind from the sea has a great influence. The grapes are hand-picked early in the morning, while the temperatures are still low, to preserve the cool aromas. After a further sorting in the cellar and a total de-stemming, the grapes are fermented in small, closed steel tanks, with daily lowering of the mesh to ensure a good color, aroma and flavor extract from the grapes. After the addition of the grape spirit to stop the fermentation, the wine undergoes a further maceration for 3 weeks before being gently pressed.
The wine is then matured for 42 months with the majority in “demi-muids” wooden casks (500 l.), which have previously been used by well-known Cognac and Whiskey houses, Bordeaux barriques (225 l.) and a small number of containers of glass (ladies jeanne), which is placed outside and exposed to climatic variations. The different maturing conditions ensure that the wine retains the tannin structure, the fruit and the aroma, while at the same time developing velvet and complexity.
In Banyul’s Grand Cru you will find complex nuances of dark cherries, blackcurrants, prunes, chocolate, black pepper, vanilla and other exotic spices in both aroma and taste. The taste is both endearing, fleshy and fruit-concentrated. The aftertaste is incredibly long and velvety with a good bite and great charm.
Served with desserts with red fruits, chocolate and nuts as well as with mature blue cheeses.
Les Clos de Paulilles is located in the bay of Paulilles on the Mediterranean, between Collioure and Banyuls, just a few kilometers from the Spanish border and the Pyrenees. The property was founded by the Bernardi family in the year 1800 and has always been famous for its innovation. In 2012, when the family was without heirs, the winery was sold to the famous producer of biodynamic wines and still wines in the neighboring district of Rivesaltes, Domaine Cazes. Immediately in 2013, they started adapting cultivation methods for a more environmentally friendly production and better working conditions for the employees. A huge construction and restoration work was also started to maintain the many walls, terraces and bushes between the plots. Today the property consists of 90 ha., divided between lowlands, valleys and high slopes, with 63 ha. vineyards planted with 6 grape varieties, the most important being Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cabernet. All vineyards are cultivated according to the “Agriculture Raisonnée” regulations.
The huge diversity of the plots in both soil (primarily slate, but also mica in the form of pebbles mixed with clay and sandy soil), altitude and exposure to sun and wind (“micro-terroirs”), gives huge opportunities to find the right harmonies in the wines. Therefore, separate, manual harvesting of the parcels is practiced – even up to 5 different pickings on certain parcels, transport of the grapes in small containers to the cellar. The new, modern cellars are equipped to enable separate vinifications of each plot and grape variety. Les Clos de Paulilles is placed in the elite for the production of Banyuls and Collioure wines.
The Banyuls/Collioure area is located in Roussillon and forms the southernmost tip of France – along the Mediterranean coast to the east, immediately before the town of Cerbère on the border with Spain. From flat areas along the water further north, the landscape gradually becomes more mountainous to the south, with the Pyrenees in the background. The vineyards are located both in the flat areas close to the coast and in valleys and on slopes higher up in the hinterland (up to approx. 350 m.a.s.l.). The most important grapes for Banyuls (primarily red, but also rosé and white wines) are Grenache Noir (min. 50% in an AOC Banyuls, min. 90% in a Banyuls “Rimage” and min. 75% in a Grand Cru) , Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Carignan and more rarely Macabeu, Muscat and Malvoisie.
The district is known for its Vins Doux Naturels red wines (VDN) in the AOC Banyuls. These are made by adding neutral grape spirit before all the sugar has been consumed during fermentation. This immediately stops the fermentation process and gives the wine a higher alcohol percentage, while retaining some of its natural sugar content. A VDN must contain between 15 and 21% in alcohol and min. 45 g residual sugar. It must not have extra sugar added (hence the name VDN – wine with natural sweetness, similar to e.g. Italian “Dolce Naturale” wines).
Regular white or red wines carry the AOC Collioure, which is the name of a small coastal town near the port town of Port-Vendres.
