De Mena Wabi Sabi Cinsault '23

De Mena Wabi Sabi Cinsault '23 is a juicy, soulful natural red from Sébastien Agelet of Domaine de Mena in the rugged Pyrenean foothills of Paziols, Roussillon (Côtes Catalanes), southern France.

“De Mena” means “by nature” in Catalan — exactly Sébastien’s philosophy. He farms organically on rocky clay-limestone soils in the Mont Py parcel (a wild, time-forgotten corner of the hills that once belonged to the Principality of Catalonia). Biodiversity, humility before the land, and zero tricks in the cellar are the only rules.

Wabi Sabi takes its name from the Japanese aesthetic of embracing imperfection, asymmetry, and the simple beauty of things as they are. It’s 100% Cinsault — Sébastien’s absolute favorite grape (“lots of fruit, not a lot of alcohol… it’s all we want to drink right now”). The grapes are foot-stomped and given a gentle one-week semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous yeasts, then aged in stainless steel. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, with only a whisper of sulfur (<10 mg/L).

The result is a bright ruby-red stunner that explodes with ripe strawberry, raspberry, cherry, blackberry and a touch of blueberry, laced with delicate violet florals, wild herbs, spice, and a subtle sanguine, earthy edge. On the palate it’s lively and refreshing — bright acidity, a cool mineral backbone, silky texture, supple tannins, and a long, juicy finish with a pleasant bitter twist that keeps you coming back.