La Mariota 'Tacsum' Orange 2021

Our obsession with mystic, skin-macerated wines continues. This one's from France. Roussillon, to be exact. And it's a stunner.

Cécilia and Guillermo are the ones behind this beauty. They're working with two very different terroirs: schist in Tautavel and limestone in Vingrau. This cuvée is a fine maceration of two Muscats: Muscat d'Alexandrie and Muscat à Petits Grains. The Muscat à Petits Grains comes from Vingrau, harvested early, slightly underripe, to keep its aromatic power in check. What it gives instead? Structure. A chalky, saline backbone that holds everything together. Meanwhile, the Muscat d'Alexandrie from the hillsides of Tautavel brings the aromatics, more noble, more profound, less aggressively "muscatey" than its cousin.

The maceration is light, just enough to get an expressive and open nose: peach, apricot, poached pear, orange zest, white flowers, cumin, ginger, curry. And then, a little tannic grip that gives the wine structure and character. It's balanced, lively, dense, original, and somehow still welcoming. A true coup de maître!

Drink it with something spiced or something grilled.