The Domaine du Traginer is a 16 hectare estate which lies across the steep schist upper slopes of Banyuls sur Mer, where the Pyrenees meets the Mediterranean Sea. It benefits from a very sunny exposure and has been farmed using biodynamic methods since 1997, though Jean-François Deu, the current owner started experimenting some 10 years earlier. The vineyards have a very low yield and getting even lower with the lack of rain over the last few years which can be attributed to climate change. Jean Francois says, ' ca fait pleurer', it makes you cry, when talking about how the local area and his vines are suffering from years of drought. The history of the area and the Traginer farm goes back a long way and Jean Francois aims to follow the ancestral traditions in their purest form. Accordingly, part of the vineyard is still ploughed with the help of a mule, guided by his 'Tragineur', the Catalan term for a muleteer. This is after all old Catalonia, being just 4 km from the Spanish border. Anicet, Jean-François's uncle, was the last 'Tragineur' in Banyuls, as well as the most famous. At Domaine du Traginer, they never use selected yeasts and enzymes or any other manipulations or modern wine making techniques. Here it is all about the land and letting nature take its course. Some wines are produced without sulphites depending on the year and the stability of the must. Banyuls and its near neighbour Collioure are ancient appellations and the wines when made in the way have a beautiful rustic, authenticity to them. They are full bodied, high in alcohol, and have the capacity to age almost indefinitely, in fact at Traginer, they still have wines in barrels that are over 50 years old and still 'just not quite ready!' With the wines of Traginer which many consider to be the best in the region, there is an added freshness and acidity which comes from the old vines and natural production. Great wine very often reflects the personality of the producer and that is certainly the case here. Like his wines Jean Francois is full of personality, rustic, noble and honest. He is a farmer first and foremost and talks about his job and his wines with 100% honesty, sincerity and charm. These are truly beautiful wines, perfect for the winter time, hearty meals and absolutely perfect for Christmas!
