Banyuls

The grapes for the Banyuls AOC liqueur wine thrive on the steep slopes around the small town of Banyuls-sur-Mer, where the Pyrenees (Massif des Albères) meet the Mediterranean. The vines grow on 1400 hectares of barren, mineral soils in Cerbère, Collioure, Banyuls-sur-Mer or Port-Vendres in the Roussillon growing region and are then matured in mostly small cellars.
The poor slate soils only allow for very low yields and these may not exceed 30 hectolitres per hectare. The grape varieties used are Grenache, Macabeo, Torbato, Muscat blanc à petits grains, Muscat d'Alexandrie, Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah. A Banyuls must be made from at least 50% Grenache.
The grapes ripen on the vine until they shrivel like sultanas. In order to preserve the natural fruit sugar of the sultana, this southern wine is fortified to 15% vol. - max. 22% vol. It is then matured for at least ten months in large barrique oak barrels. At least thirty months of ageing are required for a Banyuls Gran Cru. 
The taste of this sweet wine is characterised by juicy sultana notes, luscious plum aromas and is somewhat nutty like a port wine. Despite a residual sweetness, the finish of a Banyul is usually dry, which makes this wine very complex. Tip: Instead of ‘only’ as a classic dessert wine, this also works very well as an aperitif.