The Estate
Still a cellar master in Saint-Émilion, Julien Ditté envisioned a project with his friend Olivier Cazenave (Château de Bel) to reclaim old parcels of Grenache Noir. They decided to classify their wines as "Vin de France" to maintain greater freedom in crafting their cuvées.
The project began with the first vintage in 2011, driven by the desire to showcase the aging potential of wines from the Aspres terroir while vinifying without artifice. Over the years, this terroir has proven its ability to produce long-aging wines.
They named their project "Amistat", the Catalan word for friendship.
The wines are crafted as naturally as possible on a magnificent terroir at the foothills of Mont Canigou—rolling low-altitude hills interspersed with woodlands, scrub, and heathland. The initial idea was to work with Grenache, an indigenous grape variety, using massal selection. The project later expanded to include a parcel of Macabeu in 2012 and a centenary Carignan vine in 2020.
The Wine
Vines planted in 1905, hand-harvested only in the morning, manual sorting on the table, and long, gentle pressing of whole clusters.
Indigenous yeasts only, spontaneous fermentations.
9 months aging in amphoras
No added sulphites
Tasting
On the nose, red fruits and exotic fruits intertwine, with a few floral notes completing the bouquet. The attack is lively and fresh, with hints of pineapple and citrus. The wine is powerful and aromatic, with a beautiful length on the palate.
