Serrat de la Plane VdF 2022 1500ml Magnum

Fairly transparent purple. The nose holds fullness and clarity, ripeness and coolness together: blackberry, blueberry, mulberry and cherry appear ripe yet crisp, alongside graphite, wet stone, crushed nutshells, garrigue, undergrowth and dry leaves.

Serrat de la Plane means "stony plateau" in Catalan. It is the name of the place where the vineyard lies, in south-western Roussillon, not far from the Spanish border. The subsoil is dry, stony weathered gneiss, and the plot is permanently exposed to cool wind. This air movement cools the grapes in the hot climate and preserves freshness in the wine.

Single-varietal Grenache from old vines that Georg Meissner saved from being uprooted. Yields are around 9 hl/ha. Meissner teaches biodynamic viticulture at Hochschule Geisenheim, oversees agriculture, cellar and research at Alois Lageder in South Tyrol, and leads the training programme of the respekt-BIODYN winegrowers' group. He farms the vineyard together with Flo Busch, with whom he also shares the cellar. Bottling takes place at the Moulin de Breuil in Montesquieu-des-Albères.

The fruit remains as dark as on the nose. Its sweet core is no larger than a pea, while the wine otherwise comes across as entirely dry: powdery tannin, brilliant acidity, juicy and austere. Power and grace at once, with the 14.5% ABV remaining unobtrusive within this cool clarity.

The label carries the Demeter logo. Alongside the Vindemiatrix, the Serrat de la Plane is one of only two wines made at the estate, both in tiny quantities. The magnum holds 1500 ml.