Between the foothills of the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, Roussillon forms a large amphitheatre open to the sea, with the steep terraced slopes of the Banyuls (Vin doux Naturel) / Collioure (red, rosé, white) appellation area on its edge. The schist soil, with a hot, dry and windy climate, is remarkably favourable to the southern grape varieties, which reveal their full character in wines that are both warm and full of finesse. In the hinterland, the Têt and Agly valleys are different, with terroirs made up of granitic arenas and higher altitudes, which give the wines freshness and balance.
Created in Banyuls in 1994 by Alain Castex and Ghislaine Magnier, Le Casot des Mailloles has established itself as a pioneer of natural wine in the Roussillon vineyards. Hard to work on its very steep plots, the estate was partly sold (3.5 ha, with Alain Castex keeping 1 ha on Trouillas, with its gentler terrain) in 2015 to Jordi Pérez, who is continuing and amplifying the work undertaken: pastoralism, planting of olive and almond trees in agroforestry, vegetal cover of the soils, and wine-making without inputs. The vineyard (certified organic) now covers 5 ha, including plots far from the coast and located at altitude (550/600 m.) in the hinterland at Tarerach, on a granite arena terroir. Grenache gris and blanc, vermentino for the whites, carignan, grenache, syrah, mourvèdre for the reds are part of the blends that make up the different Collioure or Tarerach wines of the estate. Small yields, "soft" vinification, no added sulphur or filtration: perfectly natural vintages that tell the story of the terroir without diversions.
