Maury Tuilé Hors d’Age AOP

Wine description for Maury Tuilé Hors d’Age AOP by Terres de Fagayra

A Vin Doux Naturel that shatters every cliché about sweet wines from Roussillon: Marjorie and Stéphane Gallet prove at their Maury estate, Terres de Fagayra, that sweetness need not be heavy and ponderous, but can positively vibrate. This Tuilé Hors d’Âge – aged for at least five years in glass demijohns and wooden casks – is the crowning glory of their range.

Colour & appearance

Bright brick red – precisely the hue implied by the term “Tuilé”, achieved through years of oxidative ageing.

Nose

Captivating and multi-layered: dried plums and peaches, cherries and raspberries meet candied ginger and candied orange peel. Add to this dark chocolate with mint, shortbread, lavender and a hint of cool stone – an aroma in which one could easily lose oneself.

Palate

At once fresh and ripe, sensually creamy on the attack. The sweetness is balanced by a vibrant acidity and melds with a medley of red fruit, dried fruits, ripe citrus notes and warm butter biscuit. Despite its aromatic depth and a substantial 17.5% ABV, the wine remains astonishingly light on its feet.

Finish

Long, invigorating and of remarkable lightness – the mineral imprint of the schist soils ensures that the sweetness never clings cloyingly to the tongue.

Terroir & origin

Maury lies in the Agly Valley, sheltered by imposing limestone massifs. The dark schist and calcareous schist soils store the day’s warmth, whilst the altitude and the Tramontane wind ensure cool nights. It is precisely this combination that yields sweet wines that are taut rather than clumsy.

Grape varieties & vinification

A cuvée of Grenache and Carignan, made as a Vin Doux Naturel. The designation Hors d’Âge requires a minimum of five years’ ageing in glass demijohns and/or wooden casks – an oxidative maturation that lends the wine its colour, nutty character and layers of caramel complexity.

Food recommendations

A fascinating partner well beyond dessert: 12-hour slow-roasted lamb with plums and apricots, classically accompanied by mirabelle plum tart or an autumnal tiramisu with chestnuts. Also a revelation when savoured solo at the end of an evening.

Special features

The Gallets, biodynamically certified (Biodyvin) since 2011, work with wild yeast fermentation and minimal sulphur additions. Their vines average 66 years of age and yield only around 20 hectolitres per hectare – low quantity, great substance. Notes of dried figs, walnuts and caramel remain consistently underpinned by a mineral drive throughout.