Chiraz, Cotes Catalanes Rouge, Syrah, Clos Del Rey

Twenty years ago, when the market for the fortified wines of Maury started to collapse, Jacques Montagué started to buy up the best old parcels of Grenache and Carignan he could find. He wanted the vines to have a future. Jacques’ son Julien works with him in the business and together they now have 50ha of vines. The quality found in Clos del Rey stems from the fact that father and son save the best 8ha for their own wines, selling the rest of their fruit to the local co-operative. In the cellar they use older oak and low intervention. Decanter’s Andrew Jefford describes the L’Aragone as ‘the greatest Carignan he has ever tasted’. If you need persuading that old vines make great wines, then look no further.