Harvested from the Domaine du Mas Blanc’s oldest Grenache vines, the Banyuls ‘Collection’ 2002 is a special subset of its Banyuls ‘Vieilles Vignes.’ Hand-harvested and trodden by foot, it was fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts and aged in 650-liter oak demi-muids for 10 years. A single 225-liter barrel was then diverted from bottling and set aside for continued elevage as part of the estate’s library of its most important wines. Dubbed ‘Collection,’ only three vintages have been previously released to the public. Full details

The Etter family was distilling kirsch made from one single variety of cherry before the word “vintage” had ever been used. Etter’s old vintage Kirsch “AOP Zug” comes only from years of particularly good harvests of the “Lauerz” mountain cherry, which grows in tall trees located in a sunny position on the Zugerberg mountain. Long storage in 50-litre glass demijohns is necessary for the intensely concentrated flavors to meld together to reveal the true character of each year. Fluctuating temperatures in old barns where Etter “hides” these demijohns enable the young, rather raw, single-variety distillate to mature into a kirsch typical of the year in question. Savor slowly, as the flavors unfold unlike any other fruit brandy. Full details

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