AOC Banyuls grand cru Rancio

In the south of France, the sun-drenched vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon stretch over 240,000 hectares from Nîmes to Leucate (Aude), making it one of the largest vineyards in the world. The AOC Banyuls Grand Cru Rancio is one of these, and its appellation area extends over the communes of Banyuls, Collioure, Port-Vendres and Cerbère (as is the AOC Banyuls), covering some 1,150 hectares of mainly schist soils. Grenache vines (75%) are planted in this appellation to produce Grand Cru natural sweet red wines, renowned for their quality and ageing potential (up to several decades). Like the Banyuls Rancio, these wines are aged for up to two years in oak barrels exposed to the sun, and are characterised by their amber colour and Rancio flavour