On the black schists of the Corbières and upper Roussillon, between the gorges of Galamus and the Pyrenees etched on the horizon, the village of Maury has been producing for centuries one of the most intense and most recognisable vins doux naturels in the world. The Vignerons de Maury, a cooperative founded in 1910, are the guardians of this heritage and the pioneers of a remarkable evolution: since 2011, Maury has also established itself as a dry wine appellation, with reds of great depth and very southern character.
History / Heritage
The story begins on 20 April 1910: 129 owners, plus 3 absentees, gather at a founding assembly and establish the Maury cooperative, in a spirit of solidarity against the pressure of the négociants. It is today the oldest cooperative still operating in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. The Maury appellation was created in 1936, among the first in France, enshrining the grenache-based vin doux naturel as the village's identity. In 1974, three separate cooperatives merged to form the Société Coopérative Les Vignerons de Maury as it exists today. The cooperative now brings together 180 winegrowers across approximately 870 hectares.
The Terroir
Maury is a black schist terroir, one of the most spectacular in Roussillon. These metamorphic rocks, which outcrop throughout the chaotic landscape of the village, are poor, drain perfectly, and force the vines to plunge their roots deep in search of water and nutrients. It is this constraint that gives Maury's Grenache Noir its extraordinary concentration and incomparably rich aromas. The climate is continental Mediterranean, with very hot and dry summers, harsh winters, and a powerful tramontane wind. On these schist soils, the centenary vines naturally produce little, but with an intensity that few French terroirs can equal.
Viticulture and Winemaking
Harvests are largely manual, perpetuating a precious expertise. Maury VDN is produced by mutage: the addition of neutral alcohol halts fermentation and preserves the natural sugars. The young wines (grenats) are bottled quickly to retain the freshness of the fruit. The older wines (tuilés, ambrés, hors d'âge) are aged in an oxidative environment, in demi-muids or large casks, sometimes for 10, 20, or 30 years, developing aromas of rancio, dried fruits, and caramelised garrigue. Since 2011, the dry wines of the Maury appellation have been vinified as reds, whites, and rosés with equal care.
Wines / Key Cuvées
The Maury Grenat is the young vin doux naturel: black cherry, plum, blueberry, with the sweet musk of Grenache and a well-balanced sweetness. The Vieille Réserve Tuilée cuvée, after 10 years of oxidative ageing, opens onto aromas of dark tobacco, dried fig, cocoa, and nascent rancio, it is one of the great vins doux naturels of Roussillon. The Cent Ans d'Histoire cuvée pays tribute to the cooperative's founding: a hors d'âge Maury of rare complexity and depth.
The Vignerons de Maury carry a century of winemaking solidarity and a unique schist terroir. In every bottle: Catalan sunshine and collective patience.
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