Mas Amiel - Maury Millésime 1999 (vin doux oxydatif)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Smoother than the 30-year-old, more elegant and velvety; its aromas are almost salty, with notes of soy, as well as hints of brandy and old-fashioned jam. A broad flavor profile. An endless feast on the finish.

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 perfect 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. A must-visit!

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About the estate:

In the heart of the Maury terroir, at the foot of the hillside, stands a grand estate with rows of demi-jeannes where the wines age for a year in the sun before being transferred to the cask cellar for decades. Mas Amiel, the first venture 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, lively, and perfectly balanced style, rooted in a heritage of old vines. Nicolas Raffy, a talented Catalan winemaker, proudly champions wines made from calcoschist, black marl, and granite soils. He has identified steep plots, adapted his blends, aging methods, and harvest dates so that the dry Maury wines can join the VDNs at the very top. The estate is undoubtedly one of the leading names today. In recent years, the progress made with the dry wines has been spectacular. The third star is on the horizon.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

It resembles prune juice. It smells of licorice tea, smoky anise, and flaxseeds. Surprisingly smoky and full-bodied. Prunes. Stunning concentration—it feels as though the wine has been extracted from the heart of the earth. There is so much going on here that it’s impossible to do this wine justice in a quick tasting. This wine demands hours of time and attention. It is an imposing sculpture. To grasp it, you must sit with it, listen to it, and give it the chance to tell its story.

James Suckling