Nicolas Carmarans Maximus 2023

Grape: Fer Servadou
Vintage: 2023
Type: Red

Clinging to the steep, rugged terraces of the remote Aveyron region in southwest France, this energetic red is crafted from old vines ranging between 20 and 50 years of age. Grown on a complex patchwork of granitic schist, clay, and limestone soils, the indigenous Fer Servadou grapes thrive in a wild, high-altitude alpine climate. Former Parisian barman Nicolas Carmarans implements a gentle, one-week whole-bunch carbonic maceration in concrete vats to coax out pure, high-toned aromatics while taming the grape's naturally rustic seeds. Following a peaceful winter aging in old neutral French oak barriques, it is bottled completely without added sulfur, serving as an authentic, beautifully raw expression of a forgotten mountain terroir.

In the glass, it shows a luminous, translucent ruby color with vibrant magenta highlights. The aromatics are strikingly wild and expressive, bursting with notes of tart cranberry, sour cherry, crushed violet petals, and an assertive dash of cracked black pepper. On the palate, a "crystalline" current of cool-mountain acidity cuts directly through the juicy red berry core, giving the wine an effortlessly fluid and weightless mouthfeel. A subtle, rustic grip of fine-grained tannin provides just enough architectural frame to support the lively fruit profile. It glides into a highly refreshing, bone-dry finish that leaves a lingering, savory impression of crushed granite, wild thyme, and graphite.