The rugged Côtes Catalanes, in the shadow of the mighty Pyrenees to the south, is dotted with small villages scattered amongst the rocky hills and wild vegetation, like oases in an almost martian landscape. Many of these villages—for instance, Calce, brimming with natural winemakers—are steeped in long histories of grape-growing and winemaking. We find ourselves in one such of these villages, Paziols, wherein red-roofed buildings line the “bustling” city center (Paziols has a population of roughly ~500, a megalopolis compared to some neighboring villages).

The grape-growing history here is not a novel tale in French winemaking; generations of grape-growers have sold their crop to large cooperatives for decades. Additionally, many cooperatives in this area obligated growers to sell the gross majority of their harvests to the cooperative, squashing any winemaking aspirations that weren’t hyperlocal.

Enter Sébastien Agelet, and Domaine De Mena. Sébastien, the newest generation of a long line of grape growers, has gradually pulled out of the cooperative in order to make his own wines. His father “stopped” and passed the domaine on to he and his brother Franck, and is now a schoolteacher in Narbonne. Sébastien jokes “I’m telling you he stopped, but he’s actually working harder than me now.” He admits to us, when he begun work on his first vintage in 2013, “When I started making wine, I didn’t know how to do it, I didn’t actually know anything.” For him, the way to learn was to make wines variety-by-variety. “Since I didn’t know how to do it, I said ‘ok, we’re going to take a vine, and we’re going to make a drink with it.”

By the time Sébastien had begun his first vintage, the family property had grown to a staggering 30 hectares, which Sébastien demurely assures us is normal for most growers in this area. “In fact, when we were with the cooperative, that was the minimum we needed to live.” Sébastien and Franck have begun selling off some of the mass of vines to friends and other growers, and Sébastien now works a much more manageable amount to keep up with his meticulous farming.

Amongst these 30 hectares of vines are the handprints of several generations; some vines were planted when Sébastien took over the domaine, while others are as old as ninety. It’s here we begin to see the measured Sébastien begin to assert himself over the vineyards, opting to plant more Grenache Noir and Cinsault (Sébastien’s favorite grape to work with, as he says with a laugh, “Lots of fruit, but not a lot of alcohol… It’s all we want to drink right now”). The winemaking itself, though, is hardly experimental. Sébastien prefers to get out of the way, and allow the grape and the vintage to express itself fully.

“De Mena” is a Catalan term meaning “By Nature,” which Sébastien takes to heart. His real work is in the vines, and his excitement to produce predominantly single-variety wines showcases in spectacular detail how happy and teeming with life these vines are (though, his blends are equally spectacular, a tribute to the learning he’s accomplished on the job). Each cuvée feels like a puzzle piece, each with such distinct personalities, and are open-books as to the triumphs and turmoil that each vintage presents. No fuss and no tricks, purity and unadulteration.

DOMAINE DE MENA

Country: France

Region: Côtes Catalanes

Sub-region or Appellation: Paziols

Winemakers: Sébastien Agelet

Viticulture: Organic

Terroir: rocky clay and limestone

Size: 30 hectares (around 14 hectares produced)

Website: demena.vin
Instagram: @demenapaziols

DE MENA :: Clandestine Blanc

A fresh and aromatic expression of old-vine Macabeu from the Le Pilou parcel, which spends 6 months in old barrels to add another textural dimension to this jewel-bright white wine.

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: Macabeu
Style: White Wine
ABV: 13%
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Le Pilou
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: ~90 years old
Soils: rocky clay and limestone
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Fermentation in old barrique
Aging: 6 months in old barrels, on the lees
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: <10 mg/L added

DE MENA :: Super Singla

A stunning maceration of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie, an homage to the wild boars (in Catalan “singla”) that roam Sebastien’s vineyards. Concentrated honeysuckle and lemongrass aromas belie a real freshness and elegance on the palate. An awe-inspiring, death-defying, super-heroic expression of the rustic south.

Vintage: 2023
Varieties: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat d’Alexandrie
Style: Skin-Contact Wine
ABV: 13 %
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Mont Py
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: 50-60 years old
Soils: rocky clay and limestone
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: 10 days of maceration, Petits Grains are de-stemmed, while the Alexandrie are macerated whole-cluster.
Aging: Stainless steel
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added

DE MENA :: Wabi Sabi

Drawn from the Japanese concept of “Wabi-Sabi,” defined by both the acceptance and awe-inspiration of the imperfect or asymmetrical, in this case particularly in the face of the biophysical environment. The full kaleidoscope of nature’s simple existence is expressed in this cuvée of Sébastein’s favorite grape, Cinsault, full and unabashed, yet modest.

Vintage: 2023
Varieties: Cinsault
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 13.5 %
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Mont Py
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: ~6 years old
Soils: rocky clay and limestone
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Grapes are foot-stomped, and undergo one week of semi-carbonic maceration.
Aging: Stainless Steel
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: <10 mg/L added

DE MENA :: INFRA

100% Grenache Noir from a single parcel, which undergoes a short maceration and elevage in old barrels. Precise in its fruit yet filled with depth and ever-present herbalness.

Vintage: 2023
Varieties: Grenache Noir
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 13 %
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Le Pilou
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines:
Soils: rocky clay and limestone
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: 7-day maceration
Aging: 8 months in old barels
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: <10 mg/L added

DE MENA :: L’Arc en Ciel

Carignan, Lladoner Pelut, Syrah, and a pinch of Muscat combine to form one of Sebastien’s most popular and prismatic blends. A bit more extraction and denser fruit, but maintaining the trademark levity that these wines are known for.

Vintage: 2023
Varieties: 50% Carignan, 30% Lladoner Pelut, 18% Syrah, 2% Muscat
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 14 %
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Mont Py
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: 20-40 years old
Soils: rocky clay and limestone
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: 7 days of whole-cluster maceration
Aging: 7 months in old barrels
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: <10 mg/L added