🍷 Maury

Maury is a vin doux naturel, a sweet fortified wine with a protected designation of origin from Roussillon in the south of France. The appellation was recognised in 1936 for vins doux naturels, and since the 2011 decree the same name also covers dry red still wines. The grapes are grown and the wines made and aged in four communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales department: Maury, Rasiguères, Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet and Tautavel.

The vineyards lie in a valley north-west of Perpignan, between two limestone ridges, on black schistous marls, mostly at 140 to 350 metres. The climate is dry and very windy: the tramontane blows about one day in three. Grenache noir is well adapted here and reaches the ripeness these wines need.

To make the vin doux naturel, neutral wine alcohol of at least 96 % vol is added to the fermenting must, 5 to 10 % of the must volume in pure alcohol. Fermentation stops and part of the grape sugar remains. The grapes must contain at least 252 g of sugar per litre, and the finished wine has at least 15 % vol actual alcohol and at least 45 g/l of sugar.

Grenat Maury comes only or mostly from Grenache noir and has aromas of red and black fruit with spicy notes. White Maury, a small production, and ambré are made from the traditional vin doux naturel grapes, such as white and grey Grenache, Macabeu and Tourbat, with no more than 20 % Muscat; tuilé is based mainly on Grenache noir. Wines for ageing are raised in vats, large casks or glass demijohns in contact with air until 1 March of the third year after harvest. After more than 5 years of ageing they may be labelled hors d'âge, and long ageing can give rancio notes recalling dried fruit or roasting.

Maury has at least 15 % vol of alcohol. The WHO states that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.