Obreptice Orange Wine Casot des Mailloles 2020

Obreptice Orange Wine Casot des Mailloles 2020, Orange wine, Biodynamic wine, Sensational garage wine, complex, fresh and just a little wild!  Obreptice Orange Wine is mainly Vermentino with a little Marsanne for extra acidity. This is the first year that the wine has been made with skin contact and what a success.

The Vermentino does very well in close proximity to the sea and it marries delicious salinity to the soft stone fruits and peachy aromas which lie at its core. The added complexity and almost marsh mellow like aroma brings something completely new and fascinating to the wine. On the palate, the wine explodes with energy, vitality.  It transports you to the coast of Banyuls and plants you firmly in a vineyard overlooking the Med.  You are eating grilled Sardines and celebrating the beauty of the place and the natural world. That is what natural wine can do – that conventional wine never does.  It captures your imagination and fills you with emotion.

A little etymological sleuthing has led me to the conclusion that an Obreptice is something which sneaks up on you and surprises you.  In this case, definitely in a good way.

Le Casot des Mailloles is a 5 hectare estate nestled on steep terraces overlooking the town of Banyuls, in the Roussillon.

It is named after the traditional stone shelters that dot the vineyards in the region.  It was made famous by Biodynamic pioneers Alain Castex and Ghislaine Magnier who ran the estate until 2015.  The terrain here is steep so all the work is done manually.  The old vines of Grenache have buried their roots deep into the unique dark schist which is found in this area.

At Le Casot des Mailloles, they are strictly organic and biodynamic in the vines.  They use natural fermentation and never filter or fine the wines. Sulphites are also avoided entirely. 

After Alain Castex's retirement in 2015, production was passed on to Jordi Perez, a young winemaker very much in Alain's mould. He has continued the work and makes wine using the same methods as Alain and Ghislaine. Jordi is young and a very talented wine maker.  He is devoted to the Casot style and the integrity of these mystical vineyards but is also putting his own stamp on the wines. They have always carried great emotion and energy.  Jordi is aiming to bring also an element of precision and elegance which will raise the wines into the realms of the super fine.

Now after nearly 8 years at the helm, Jordi has made his mark.  The wines of Le Casot are absolutely stunning.  They have a vibrancy and energy that few other wineries in France and the world can match.  He has added some skin contact to some of the white wines and the older vintages, some which which predate Jordi continue to age majestically.  Natural wine for fine natural wine lovers, put a few cases away for 10 years.  You will be amazed how good they become.