Mas Amiel - Millésime 1969

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A rich, complex aroma with notes of rancio, dominated by bitter orange; still very vibrant; a superb wine for fine dining.

About the estate:

In Maury, Mas Amiel comprises 150 hectares of vineyards in production, spread across 132 plots, overlooked by the Cathar castle of Quéribus. Olivier Decelle (also owner of Château Jean Faure in Saint-Émilion) has acted as a patron, gradually restoring it to peak production condition, assisted in this effort since 2007 by Nicolas Raffy, a lover of these lands. With the transition to biodynamics, the character of the wines will certainly continue to evolve in the years to come. While natural sweet wines have by no means been neglected, the focus has shifted toward the production of very modern dry wines, with a broad range covering all styles. An essential source!

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Having earned two consecutive "favorite" ratings in recent editions, this Mas Amiel came very close to repeating the feat with this superb old vintage, aged for a year in a glass demijohn and then left to mature for ages in a large oak cask. Captivating from the very first whiff, this 1969 plays on notes of honey, dried apricot, and orange zest—evocative of an “ambré”—prune and candied cherry—characteristic of a “tuilé”—and the vanilla, toasted, and cocoa notes imparted by aging in wood. Balance, superb integration, restrained power, a fresh structure, and a long finish with hints of aged Armagnac contribute to a memorable tasting experience and guarantee many years of enjoyment.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

The magic of time has done its work, with a nose that evokes notes of spice, cocoa, and blood orange. The fortification, perfectly integrated, highlights a subtle, rich palate with a long, elegant finish.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The pinnacle of complexity is reached with the admirable 1969 vintage, with its melted sugar notes, harmonious right through to its hints of quinine and cachou.

About the estate:

In the heart of the Maury terroir, at the foot of the hillside, stands a grand estate with rows of half-barrels where the wines age for a year in the sun before being transferred to the cask cellar for decades. Mas Amiel, the first estate in the Olivier Decelle portfolio, is a chapter in the history of Roussillon. An estate that celebrates the tradition of great natural sweet wines, while innovating with dry wines, featuring a refined, vibrant, and perfectly balanced style, rooted in a heritage of old vines. Nicolas Raffy, a talented Catalan winemaker, proudly champions wines from calcoschist, black marl, and granite soils. He has identified steep plots and adapted his blends, aging methods, and harvest dates so that the dry Maury wines can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the VDNs at the very top. The estate is now undeniably one of the leading names in the region. In recent years, the progress made with the dry wines has been spectacular. The third star is on the horizon.

James Suckling