Mas de Lavail Tradition (Organic) 2021 - Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France

17/20 Hamburg Wine Side (2018 vintage)
11/20 Bettane et Desseauve (2016 vintage)

3 Stars - Le Guide Hachette des Vins (2018 vintage)

Organic

David William - An aromatic and concentrated Southern French blend bursting with ripe red berried fruit and spicy overtones. Silky and smooth on the palate with fine tannins and a hint of liquorice on the finish.

Hamburg Wine Side "Liquorice on the nose, undergrowth, garrigue aromas, plums. Long and authentic." (2018 vintage)

Le Guide Hachette des Vins "Subtle tiled reflections appear in the intense garnet, almost black colour. This is the sign of a beginning of evolution towards complexity. Such is also the impression left by the aromas of undergrowth, olive, Zan and the few toasted notes that nuance the intense fruitiness. The fleshy mouth takes advantage of tight tannins to develop with fullness, while prolonging the aromatic expression. Elegance." (2018 vintage)

Bettane et Desseauve "With a fine and floral nose.................." (2016 vintage)

40% Carignan, 40% Syrah, 20% Grenache Noir

Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.

Mas de Lavail is a family-owned estate in the heart of the Maury Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, one of the oldest Appellations in the area of Roussillon, which was designated in 1936. The winery, Mas de Lavail was founded in 1999 with the purchase of the property by the Batlle family. The estate is situated in the heart of the MAURY Appellation, surrounded by the two ranges of the Corbières, on clay-limestone soil.

Part of their land stretches beneath the Cathar castle of Quéribus, resting on black schist soils. The name "Maury" derives from these black lands, known for their unique ability to retain the Sun's heat and release it to the vines during the cooler evenings. As a result, the Grenache and Carignan grapes show the estate's devotion to their terroir and winemaking craft which is evident in the exceptional wines they produce.

Organic agricultural practices are now at the forefront of the wine-growing approach to achieve full organic certification, alongside the preservation of existing biodiversity. Clearly, Grenache is the star here, as per the requirement of the Maury and newly designated Maury Sec AOCs, however, Syrah and Carignan (both Blanc and Noir) are far from just supporting acts, in fact producing stunning examples. Cropping is averaged at 29 HL per hectare across the domain, with the estate ranges at far less, and production levels of less than 10,000 cases annually point to grapes with exceptional concentration.

Côtes du Roussillon Villages is an appellation for dry red wines from the Roussillon wine region of southern France. It represents wines which are a step up in quality from the more generic Côtes du Roussillon appellation. The grapes most commonly used in Côtes du Roussillon Villages wines are Carignan, Grenache and Syrah.Côtes du Roussillon-Villages is a sub-appellation in the northern half of the appellation in the valley of the river Agly, from the best slopes around the valley. The appellation is in the foothills of the Pyrenees and the better wines are normally produced from vines on the slopes, not in the valley floors. It is purely for red wines, with stricter appellation regulations than regular Côtes du Roussillon.

The blend allowed is: Carignan (maximum 60%), Syrah, Mourvèdre (minimum 30% combined), Grenache noir, Lladoner. Note that a minimum of three varieties are allowed in the blend.

Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterranean and around the globe. 

Syrah is a dark-skinned red wine grape. Its origins have been popularly debated, but its modern viticultural home is unquestionably the northern Rhône Valley of eastern France. In Australia, Syrah is the flagship variety and has developed such a distinct personality that it is essentially regarded as a distinct variety, is commonly known as Shiraz.

Grenache is a red-wine grape grown extensively in France, Spain, Australia and the United States and is one of the most widely distributed grapes in the world. Grenache is the French name for the grape, but it has a number of synonyms. In Spain, where it is one of the country's flagship varieties, it is known as Garnacha, and on the island of Sardinia it has been known for centuries as Cannonau. In France, Grenache is most widely planted in the southern Rhone Valley and throughout both Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. It is most commonly found alongside Syrah and Mourvedre in the classic Southern Rhone Blend (notably in Cotes du Rhone wines), and is the main grape variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.