# Cassagne et Vitailles Clas Mani (2017)

- **Producer:** Cassagne et Vitailles
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Syrah, Grenache, Carignan
- **Region:** Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €55
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, apricot, black pepper, ginger, plum, chocolate, cloves, vanilla, smoke, leather, forest floor

## About this wine

Domaine Cassagne et Vitailles was founded in 2015 by childhood friends Matthieu Rollin and Nicolas Seffusatti, who met in high school in Montpellier. After spending a decade importing French wines into China, they returned to their roots in Languedoc with a single-minded goal: to craft uncompromising, elite, terroir-driven wines on their boutique 7-hectare estate. Located near the high-altitude, rugged slopes of Montpeyroux and Saint-Saturnin, the estate prioritizes precision over profit. The name 'Clas Mani' translates to 'hands-on work' or 'chiseled by hand,' referencing the extreme, meticulous vineyard care given to every single vine.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'Clas Mani' translates to 'hands-on work' or 'chiseled by hand,' reflecting the meticulous care given to each individual vine.
- The estate was founded by childhood friends Matthieu Rollin and Nicolas Seffusatti after a decade of importing French wines into China.
- The wine is aged in barrels from Tonnellerie Chassin, the legendary cooperage that supplies Burgundy icons like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

## Food pairing

This powerful, structured red wine requires rich, savory dishes with high protein and fat content to soften its firm, fine-grained tannins. The vibrant acidity cuts through rich meats, while the wine's intense dark fruit and herbal garrigue notes beautifully complement roasted game, lamb, and complex spiced dishes.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested late in the season to push ripeness, followed by meticulous sorting. Each parcel is vinified separately in small, temperature-controlled stainless steel vats to preserve the purity of individual plots. The wine is then aged for 18 months in premium Burgundy oak barrels sourced from the prestigious Tonnellerie Chassin, coopers to iconic Burgundy houses. The wine is occasionally refined in concrete eggs prior to bottling to enhance its texture and precision.