Domaine Danjou Banessy - Estaca 2022
Domaine Danjou-Banessy is one of the deepest signatures of contemporary Roussillon, located in Espira-de-l’Agly, in the Agly valley, north of Perpignan. Benoît and Sébastien Danjou continue an ancient family story, revealing Catalan terroirs marked by schists, marls, limestone, and Mediterranean influences. The estate works with certified organic farming, using biodynamic practices, in search of rooted, precise wines carried by great finesse of expression. Estaca holds a major place in this range, as it comes from a very old Grenache Noir plot over 120 years old. Located in the Terres Noires sector, this old vine produces a rare red, deeply mineral and built over the long term. In a region often associated with heat and power, Danjou-Banessy offers here a more infused, floral, and subtle interpretation of Grenache. Domaine Danjou-Banessy Estaca 2022 thus presents itself as a great Catalan terroir red, both Mediterranean, delicate, and remarkably unique.
The Estaca 2022 cuvée is made from 100% Grenache Noir, grown on a schist plot over 120 years old. This very old vine age allows obtaining naturally concentrated material, but the estate’s style favors balance, freshness, and precision rather than a display of power. The vinification is based on whole cluster harvest, lightly crushed, with fermentation by indigenous yeasts and extraction by infusion. This approach preserves the aromatic delicacy of Grenache, its silky touch, and its floral dimension. The long aging in used barrels, ranging from 24 to 60 months depending on the vintages, accompanies the wine without marking it with dominant oak. The 2022 vintage offers an elegant and juicy reading of this cuvée, with material more focused on subtlety than mass. Estaca 2022 thus expresses the nobility of an old schist Grenache, capable of combining intensity, finesse, and great persistence.
On tasting, Domaine Danjou-Banessy Estaca 2022 shows a bright red robe, deep without excess opacity. The nose may evoke wild strawberry, red cherry, pomegranate, faded rose, peony, sweet spices, Timut pepper, and a touch of blood orange. On the palate, the wine is juicy, delicate, and balanced, with a fine, almost infused texture that reveals the complexity of the old Grenache. The tannins are supple, elegant, supported by a saline freshness and a mineral energy linked to the schists. The finish stretches over red fruits, dried flowers, spices, and a sensation of warm stone, in a long and refined register. This red from Roussillon will ideally accompany roasted pigeon, herb lamb, duck with sweet spices, veal chop, Catalan cuisine, confit vegetables, or mushroom dishes. It can be enjoyed after aeration in its youth, but its balance and long aging will also allow it to evolve for several years in the cellar.
Grape variety: 100% Grenache Noir
