Jean Astruc, coach driver in Limoux, has a dream: his own wine estate. The dream came true in 1862, with the acquisition of 12 hectares of vineyard in Malras. His son Jean Astruc shares the same ideal and continues to acquire land despite the crisis and his departure to the battlefields of the First World War. In the 1950s, his son Pierre inherits the Domaine Astruc. It then encompasses more than 30 hectares of vineyard and the resources to exploit it. In 1977, after completing his studies, Pierre's son, Jacques Astruc, returns to Malras to continue building the Domaine Astruc with his father. In 2003 Jean-Claude Mas came into the picture: owner and winemaker of Les Domaines Paul Mas, a successful and independent family business in Pezenas, also in the Languedoc. He had long worked with Astruc the main source of their Vin de Pays wines and decided to buy the Domaine. The d'A range is the first fruit of this purchase.

Domaines Paul Mas was founded in 1892. The current owner is Jean-Claude Mas and he is without doubt the pioneer of the revival of the Languedoc as a region for quality wines. Jean-Claude describes his wines as 'Le Luxe Rural', rural luxury. He has given the Languedoc 'new world' allure with international grape varieties. And with his fashionable wines from local grapes, he has made the local character of the Languedoc hip again among wine lovers. Hubrecht Duijker rightly calls Jean-Claude Mas a 'wine wizard' and at Grandcruwijnen we are the only company in the Netherlands to also carry the high-end Grandcrus of Paul Mas.

Domaine Astruc is located at the foot of the Pyrenees. The vineyards consist of 80 ha, of which 25 are planted on the Limoux appellation and another 250 ha under contract. This is a unique region in the Languedoc, where different climatic influences come together, the Mediterranean and the Oceanic being the most important. On the hills of the Aude Valley, Chardonnay is king, but red grape varieties are also important: Syrah Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec all give surprising wines.

The Astruc dA is a 100% Syrah coming from the Appelation Pays d'Oc. The Syrah vineyard is located on a clay / limestone soil with gravel. The age of the vineyard varies between 12 to 30 years old. The harvest takes place at night to prevent oxidation. The fermentation takes place in a temperature-controlled manner and takes a total of about 20 days with maceration. The must is pumped over daily in order to get the juice into good contact with the skins. After maceration, the wine is pressed very gently with a pneumatic press. Before malolactic fermentation, 25% of the wine is put in oak barrels and aged for 4 months (American oak, 20% new). It is then mixed with the remaining 75%.

In the glass, the dA Syrah is an intense purple with garnet hues. In the nose spicy, peppery, violet aromas and then dark fruits such as blackberries and dark cherry with some roasted notes. In the mouth the wine is round, ripe with floral flavors and good acidity in the middle and some tobacco notes in the finish. All in all, a very pleasant glass which is ideal for enjoying in front of the fireplace, at the BBQ or on the terrace. Do not drink too hot (16/17 ° C) and also a good accompaniment to meat pies, game, grilled red meat, stew or a mixed plate of snacks to share with friends.