Domaine Lampyres Anima 2018

Anima is a blend of roughly equal parts Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Mourvèdre grown on 1.5 hectares of clay-limestone and schist soils just south of Espira de l'Agly in the Agly Valley of northern Roussillon. The grapes are farmed organically and the wine is bottled as Vin de France. At 12% ABV, it sits on the lighter end of what these three southern varieties can produce.

The wine is made by whole-bunch carbonic maceration without extraction, a technique that pulls red and dark fruit and spice from the grapes while keeping tannins soft and the overall profile fresh. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in stainless steel, then bottled unfined and unfiltered with a low dose of sulfur added just before bottling.

The 2018 vintage was significant for Domaine Lampyres: FX Dauré converted a small barn into a proper cellar that year, reducing the volume of fruit sold to the local cooperative and expanding his own bottlings. Anima had been part of the lineup since the inaugural 2016 garage vintage, and 2018 represents the first year it was made in a dedicated winery space.