Mas Amiel '69

This wine was on show at this year's Wine Fair. I had known of Mas Amiel many years earlier and I am sure I had tasted some of its modern style Maury, but I cannot recall having tried the traditional rancio style fortified wines from their stables. These latter are the wines which are aged in glass demijohns in the open for a year of the sun, the moon, the heat and the cold of the Cotes de Rousillon countryside, before prolonged aging in old vats in their cellars. This results in the traditional oxidative style of fortified sweet wines, which are characteristic of a few traditional fortified wines. As for this 45 year old Maury, it was a light garnet with a slightly nutty sweet acid nose with a hint of smoke. The palate was sweet acid a touch nutty and a touch pruney, well supported by an acid backbone.