Domaine Danjou-Banessy

France, Roussillon

The Story

The art of winemaking must be in the blood of brothers Benoit and Sébastien Danjou-Banessy – grapes and vines have been a part of their family heritage for generations.

In the 1950s, Benoit and Sébastien’s grandfather had bought further vineyards and created a “library” of rancios. Benoit worked alongside his grandfather until they produced their final vintage together in 2000.

The wine production method is fully biodynamic and non-interventionist and has been for generations. All of these factors lead to delicious wines that are lively, elegant and softly textured.

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The People

Benoit & Sebastien

Benoit took over the vineyards in 2001, and was joined five years later by Sébastien, who had been working as an English teacher. They are now not only custodians of the family’s winemaking heritage, but also of their stock of fortified wines.

The brothers were also the first generation of the family to introduce still wines, dry white and reds made from old vines of local grapes, for example the rare Carignan Gris. They now produce 40,000 bottles a year.

Watch Sébastien Danjou-Banessy’s interview with 67 Pall Mall.

The Place

France, Roussillon

Located at Espira, a few kilometres away from Rivesaltes, Domaine Danjou-Banessy typically produced fortified and rancio wines in the Roussillon region.

Domaine Danjou-Banessy uses a single-vineyard approach to winemaking across its 17 hectares of land, using vines with an average age of 60 years. The Estaca vineyard features soils of marl and schist, with silica and a trace of iron. The Truffière vineyard is set on black schist and limestone, as is the soil of Myrs. Clos des Escounils, meanwhile, sits on earth of clay and limestone.

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