Demena (from nature in ancient Catalan language) is one of the wineries that I am really proud of its discovery during my visits to Roussillon, and Sebastien Agelet is a true collaborator and close friend after 6 years of working together. The wines that this domaine produces, in really limited quantities, are usually sold out before they arrive to Greece and the artistic touch of Sebastien is appreciated from all our clients. Sebastien and his brother Franck grew up amongst their parents’ vines. Local brothers Sébastien and Franck Agelet, grew at the small mountain village of Paziols, much like their father and grandfather before them used to sell their entire production to the co-operative each year; until 2012, when Sebastien decided to experiment hidden from the rest of the village (clandestine) and with the guidance of a natural winemaker friend from the area, he made his first cuvée. 

Since 2012 he focuses on just 10ha of his very best plots, gnarled old bush vines, indigenous varieties perfectly suited to this hot windy region. His plots are predominantly situated on and around the rocky clay and limestone hill called Le Pilou, protected on its perimeter by garrigue scrub and forest, is exposed to the fierce Tramuntana winds that blow in off the Pyrenees, blowing away the humidity from the sea, acting as a natural prevention from diseases such as mildew and oidium. A few years back Seb’s brother Franck started his own project within the domaine (Clot 13) and I am happy to bring both projects in together. Sébastien and Franck’s wines are reflections of this region which is pure, wild and dramatic. It’s a hot dry region and the wines are powerful, though they have a balance that comes with purity of fruit and a fresh light touch. In Seb’s own words the wines are made by nature. Seb strongly believes that if you have excellent ingredients then the less you manipulate the better the result. This seems to sum up Sébastien’s winemaking style pretty well. The vast majority of the work is in the vines. Then, the wines more or less make themselves.