Superb Banyuls and Collioure from Domaine du Traginer with Favorites from the South of France!
5/10/25 -
(Also staring Bandol Rosé from La Bastide Blanche; Tavel Rosés from Chateau de Manissy; Irouleguy Rosé from Domaine Ilarria and Jurançon from Camin Larredya and Chateau Lapuyade!
We're very proud to be working with the witty and affable Jean-François Deu at Domaine du Traginer, and we have just received a new shipment of these delicious wines that belong on your table this season. "Banyuls and Banyuls Grand Cru are the appellations for France's finest and certainly most complex vin doux naturel" says The Oxford Companion to Wine. Our tasting last winter of the Banyuls and Collioure from Jean-François was fantastic, as usual, and we are glad to have these delightful wines back on our shelves.
M. Deu took over the family estate in 1975, named after his uncle Anicet who was the last mule-driver ("Traginer" in Catalan) in Banyuls. Certified organic since 1997 Jean-François began using Biodynamic methods in 2003 and the estate was certified Biodynamic in 2013 making real, living wines, some without sulfur. And the estate is an active member of the "Renaissance des Appellations" founded by Nicolas Joly - an agriculture closer to nature, respecting the terroir, giving new meaning to the appellations.
The red Banyuls are made with Grenache, Grenache Gris, and Carignan with the traditional method of "mutage" - the fermentation is stopped by addition of alcohol, followed by a long maceration and aging in 100 year-old barrels. The complex and delicious 2017 Banyuls Grand Cru was aged for 6 years. The Banyuls Ambré, made with Grenache, Grenache Gris and Muscat is from a solera dating back to 2000, yielding an astonishingly distinctive, long, and mineral wine. The Banyuls Blanc and Banyuls Rimage are aged briefly in stainless steel, giving superb aromas and forward fruit, perfect as aperitifs or with fruit deserts. While we may not share the French way of enjoying a sweet wine as an aperitif or with dessert, the sensational quality of these wines may encourage you to become a bit more French in your habits...
The great vineyard work at Traginer produces Collioure reds from Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre and Syrah with great complexity of fruit and flavors of earth and minerals balanced by good acidity - real wines of terroir that express the schist soils and sun-baked hills of Collioure. The Traginer Collioure Blanc is simply outstanding. Made from Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, and Vermentino, the wine shows subtle aromas of stone, white fruits, lime flower, brown spice, and anise, lifted by firm acidity. The palate is dense and very mineral with pear and dried herbs, very long, fresh and stony. Superb wine for a full-flavored fish, shellfish or white meat preparation.
Jean-François Deu at Domaine du Traginer is doing exemplary work both in the vineyard and in the cellar - these unusual, distinctive and delicious wines deserve your attention.
2023 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé Many of the world's best rosés take a few years, or even longer, in the bottle to show at their best. This is especially true for the finest Bandols and Tavels, and the 2023 Bastide Blanche is really singing right now - and at a great price! Take advantage while supplies last...
2023 Chateau de Manissy Tavel "Tête de Cuvée" Produced since 1915, the outstanding 2023 was just released. This is the historic cuvée of Chateau de Manissy, retaining the ancient label and the ancient methods of production, now enhanced by Biodynamic farming. Similar in style to the Tavel 'Vintage" at Domaine L'Anglore, the wine is a blend of Grenache, Clairette and Cinsault that undergoes a 24 to 48 hour maceration on the skins and then a cool fermentation with wild yeasts for about 2 weeks. The wine ages in old barrels for 9 to 12 months. Drink this extraordinary wine over the next 5 to 10 years.
2022 Camin Larredya Jurançon Sec "La Part Davant" Jean-Marc Grussaute's Camin Larredya is one of the most outstanding producers of dry and moelleux white wines in France but is sadly little known and under-represented in the US. The estate's largest production, La Part Davant, is a blend of Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Corbu. The nose is layered and subtle: you can imagine orange blossoms, lemon verbena and star fruit. On the palate, everything is in place, dry and vibrant, with such a back bone of acidity that there is no heaviness. Slight grainy tannins in the finish bring even more dimension. A beautiful wine and a great bottle to drink now, the wine would be even more enjoyable with a couple of years of cellaring.
2019 Chateau Lapuyade Petit Manseng Moelleux Clos Marie-Louise/Château Lapuyade is a beautiful biodynamic estate deep in the hills of Jurançon, south of Pau. Their 2019 Petit Manseng is a gorgeous wine and a sensational value. The wine needs a bit of air to open up, then shows deep floral honeyed apricot, candied citrus, stone, spice and caramel aromas with sweet fruit on the palate—lemon oil, exotic fruit and brown spice lifted by very firm acidity. Terrific length. With a few days open, more exotic fruit, pineapple and lychee emerge and the wine softens into something wonderful. An outstanding Jurançon moelleux that will accompany fois gras, patés, cheeses, fruit desserts and is fabulous on its own. (About 70 gr/liter RS)
