La Mariota : Redefining Roussillon wines
Mar 12, 2025
Last Tuesday we sat down with the enchanting Cecilia Diaz, one half of La Mariota. Along with her partner Guillermo, they are producing some of the best terroir focused wines we’ve tasted from this area, up there with the likes of Maxime Magnon, Gauby, Barthassade to name drop a few.
Whilst a plethora of Angel bakery goodies lurked on the table behind us, we sat down and tasted with empty stomachs, quickly forgetting the pastries and turning to the wines and the story of La Mariota.
Cecilia & Guillermo hail from Argentina. They met while working in Spain in the early 2000’s. Soon the pair decided to move to London to perfect their English working in hospitality. After 18 months the couple finally settled in France.
Their wine calling happened while working in top restaurants in Paris. Their taste shifted when they met a trio of sommeliers who trained for national and international competitions. This experience instilled in the couple a love for finer wines and fresher styles.
In 2013, Cecilia and Guillermo welcomed their first child and decided to swap their urban lifestyle for peaceful, rural living. They arrived in the Roussillon and Guillermo joined the brothers at Domaine Danjou-Banessy to start a two year apprenticeship, which followed by 6 months with Cyril Fhal at Clos du Rouge Gorge.
In 2017 the couple found vineyards in Vingrau and Tautavel, starting with 6 different grape varieties planted across 1.7ha. 2019 marked the first vinification in their cellar nestled underneath their family home in Vingrau. From the start they have worked in an organic way, wanting to produce wines with bright fruit, structure and freshness. They vinify as naturally as possible.
La Mariota wines capture the essence of the Roussillon region and flavours from the Mediterranean sea, offering a harmonious blend of tradition, flirting with oxidative notes and innovation. The pairs commitment to sustainability and minimal intervention ensures that each bottle reflects the unique terroir and vibrant character of the area.
We just fell in love with the wines, and cant wait to share them with you!
The Wines...
Macabeu & Roussanne are usually not my thing, but how often have I tasted, 65 year old vines grown on clay/limestone terraces in the Roussillon hills? This wine completely foxed me, blind I would have no idea what it was, very complex, very gastronomical, feels very grown up. Raw and vivacious, yellow fruits with bright acidity, 10% in new oak to give the wine a bit of structure. A wine for now and a few years time.
£34 per bottle
IGP Cotes Catalanes, La Nereda 2022
My absolute wine of the line up! I’ve bought loads so please help me out with drinking it. Muscat Petit Grains & Roussane are the make up of this delightful wine. It screams to me from the glass! Candied orange peel, wild honey and spring flowers on the nose, the palate textured like sunrise, poised like a swan lake ballet dancer. Upon tasting this wine, I fell in love with La Mariota.
£36 per bottle
IGP Cotes Catalanes, Bac de las Coves Blanc 2022
This is 100% Grenache Blanc, probably the most complex wine of the lot. Some of the fruit is aged in tank, some in oak, then blended. The wine is probably best placed with food, I’m going to make a white bean Cassoulet this week and rip a bottle open.
£38 per bottle
We drank plenty of this here last year, the perfect ‘light’ red wine for spring and summer months. A blend of Grenache Noir, Carignan and Syrah with vines averaging 50 years old found in clay/limestone terroirs from across the Domaine. Not just a light, one dimensional wine though, plenty of Mediterranean herb and mountain freshness here, light in the glass but very intriguing! Drink a touch chilled if you feel fancy.
£32 per bottle
IGP Cotes Catalanes, Bac de las Coves 2022
Grenache Noir and Carignan from low yielding old vines. Beautifully perfumed and aromatic, high notes of wild berries, plenty of energy, a touch of reduction that blew off quite quickly and will no doubt sort itself out in bottle. I really like this wine, very pretty. When we talk about terrior focused wines, this is it. Without visiting, I know exactly what this site looks like, you can taste it in the wine. Wild and rustic, old vines scattered without uniform share the land with Herbs and wildflowers, an underlying beauty to behold.
£37 per bottle
Is this the greatest orange wine we’ve tasted, quite possibly! The aromatics alone make it worth buying. Old vine Muscat Petit Grain & Muscat d'Alexandria are the components, it evokes a childhood memory of the little red boxes of raisins I used to have in my lunch box.
The palate is full of orange peel, stewed orchard fruits, a great pithy structure, very complex and utterly intriguing. Nothing sideways or faulty about this wine and it holds up for days after being open. If you like orange wines, this is a must.
£36 per bottle
We hope you enjoyed reading about these lovely wines, we know you will enjoy drinking them even more!
If you would like a case of all 6 we will offer that at a 10% discount.
Mixed 6 pack
£192
The wines are with us now!
Best
Chester’s
