2017 Banyuls

Manuel Di Vecchi Staraz is originally from Tuscany but has settled in Banyuls-sur-Mer near the Mediterranean, where he has created the probably most uncompromising wine-making project that we have ever seen: Vinyer de la Ruca. It is not just a sustainable wine production, but also a practical realization of an overall vision of what natural wine – and the lifestyle that follows – should be:

Ancient, free-standing Grenache Noir vines with extremely low yields, free-grazing sheep in the vineyards, moon phases, no machines, only hand power and mules, playing the violin for the grapes, destemming by hand, grape-stomping ballerinas, spontaneous fermentation and of course no fining, filtration or added sulphur. And now that we are at it, why not get a Catalan glassblower to mouth blow most of the bottles.

You could almost be led to believe that the whole thing was a little too much, if it were not for the fact that the wine is so convincingly well-made and enjoyable to drink. Vinyer de la Ruca produces about 2,000 bottles a year that are far from cheap. But with the numerous obstacles that Manuel has set up for himself while refusing to compromise it all makes sense in the end.