Domaine Danjou Banessy - La Truffière 2024
Domaine Danjou-Banessy is one of the most expressive estates of contemporary Roussillon, located in Espira-de-l’Agly, in a landscape of schists, marls, and limestone marked by Mediterranean heat. Benoît and Sébastien Danjou continue a family story by giving the Catalan terroirs a reading that is both sensitive, precise, and deeply rooted. The estate works with certified organic farming, using biodynamic practices, in a quest for lively, refined wines that carry a strong sense of place. The red La Truffière holds an important place in this approach, as it comes from the “Terres Noires” sector, one of the most unique terroirs of Espira-de-l’Agly. This 2-hectare plot, surrounded by a truffle field, brings together old vines planted between 1940 and 1960. In a region sometimes associated with powerful and sunny reds, Danjou-Banessy seeks here a more infused, floral, and mineral expression. Domaine Danjou-Banessy La Truffière 2024 thus presents itself as a great Catalan terroir red, deep without heaviness, Mediterranean without excess.
The La Truffière 2024 cuvée is made from Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, and Carignan Noir, three emblematic grape varieties of Roussillon, grown on black schists and marls resting on a limestone base. Grenache brings flesh, ripe red fruit, and a form of luminous generosity, while Mourvèdre enhances depth, spices, and aging potential. Carignan Noir completes the blend with its tension, tangy freshness, tannic energy, and Mediterranean anchoring. The old vines and low yields allow for a dense material, but the infusion vinification preserves great delicacy of expression. The 100% whole cluster harvest adds a floral dimension, aromatic freshness, and a more slender structure. The 20-month aging in used barrels supports the wine without marking it with wood, allowing the terroir’s depth to express itself. La Truffière 2024 fits into the category of age-worthy reds, both elegant, savory, and with great textural finesse.
On tasting, Domaine Danjou-Banessy La Truffière 2024 shows a deep, bright red robe with dark and slightly violet reflections. The nose may evoke black cherry, blackberry, wild raspberry, violet, pepper, dry herbs, licorice, and a smoky touch linked to the schists. On the palate, the wine is ample but very controlled, with infused material, fine tannins, and remarkable freshness for a Roussillon red. The whole cluster harvest brings drive, relief, and a floral dimension that balances the Mediterranean ripeness of the fruit. The finish is long, spicy, saline, and mineral, with a sensation of depth rather than power. This red will ideally accompany roasted herb lamb, pigeon, aged ribeye, spiced duck, confit lamb shoulder, Catalan cuisine, or mushroom dishes. It can be enjoyed after aeration in its youth but will gain complexity with several years of cellar aging.
Grape varieties: Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Carignan Noir
