# Monts & Merveilles (2020)

- **Producer:** Domaine Mylène Bru
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Syrah
- **Region:** Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €40
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–17 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blueberry, cherry, violet, black pepper, leather, mushroom, tobacco

## About this wine

In 2014, while blending her signature cuvée Far Ouest, Mylène Bru set aside a tiny vat of 100% Syrah from her 60-year-old Syrah du Triangle parcel in Saint-Pargoire, Languedoc. Enchanted by its cool, north-facing character, she created Monts & Merveilles. Born into a winemaking family in Corbières, Mylène established her estate in 2008 without electricity or running water in an isolated spot surrounded by wild garrigue and limestone. The name references the French expression 'promettre monts et merveilles', reflecting the mesmerizing expression of this unique terroir.

## Interesting facts

- Grown on a single 60-year-old, north-facing parcel surrounded by wild garrigue.
- Pressed using a traditional vertical press fitted with natural Esparto grass mats.
- Aged in neutral vats without any oak barrels to maintain pure limestone minerality.
- Micro-batch production yields only around 2,000 to 3,000 bottles per vintage.

## Food pairing

This concentrated, medium-plus to full-bodied Syrah with high natural acidity and firm tannins calls for rich, savory dishes with substantial protein and fat to soften the tannins. The wine's wild herbal character pairs seamlessly with roasted meats and slow-cooked stews infused with Mediterranean herbs like thyme and rosemary.

## Wine making process

Sourced from a single north-facing parcel of 60-year-old Syrah planted on lacustrine limestone soils. Organically and biodynamically farmed, the grapes undergo manual harvesting in small 12 kg crates. Vinification involves gentle destemming followed by a slow three-week fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine is pressed using a traditional vertical wooden basket press fitted with natural Esparto grass mats. Free-run and press juice are blended and aged in neutral vats for at least 15 months without oak. Bottled unfiltered and unfined with minimal or no added sulfites.