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Rancio of 100% Macabeu from a single, naturally-farmed site in St.-Paul de Fenouillet, in the heart of the Roussillon. The 2003 vintage was a massively difficult one, with searing temperatures across France, but particularly in the South. Manuel Jorel's Macabeu vines took a beating, with roasted skins and over-ripeness. The grapes were not suited for the normal light table wines that Macabeu usually offers, so Manuel decided to make an "orange" wine, by macerating the skins for 28 days during fermentation. Even still, the wine's over-ripeness and oxidation made it too intense for bottling right away. Manuel racked the wine into worn-out old Rivesaltes casks, which then developed voile (flor), which changed the way the wine evaporated over the next 10 years. Intense, super-dry, but honeyed, earthy, and a bit cheesy. A unicorn wine!

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