As the name suggests, Banyuls traditonnel is the classic, traditional expression of France’s great fortified wine—a confluence of terroir, wood, oxygen and time, rendered in the glass. Its expression is oxidative: wines exposed to air and in some instances to heat; aging indoors or out, with or without temperature control; in large casks or barrels, even in glass demijohns. Elevage can extend years or even decades prior to bottling. The resulting wines are simultaneously deeper and yet more ethereal, their breadth of expression showing the wisdom of youth and a vigor borne of experience—everything thing in its right place. Banyuls traditionnel is at its acme upon release, but will retain its charms for years to come.