Yoyo La Negra 2025

Yoyo is the label of Laurence Manya Krief, who left a career in Paris fashion to make wine in the village of Montesquieu-des-Albères, near Banyuls in Roussillon. She farms four hectares organically and works with minimal intervention, producing small batches by hand. La Negra is a natural red from Grenache, Carignan and a little white Grenache, made in the Languedoc-Roussillon and bottled as Vin de France. The Roussillon lies in the far south of France, with a warm, dry Mediterranean climate, plenty of sun and old-vine plots on schist and clay soils that give low yields and concentrated fruit. Because this is a natural wine, fermentation runs with wild yeasts and additions are kept to a minimum, so the wine reflects the vintage directly. It spends five months in used French oak, which rounds the texture while keeping the fruit fresh. The colour is bright, deep red. The nose shows red berries, ripe plum, garrigue herbs and black pepper. The palate is medium to full bodied and juicy, with soft tannins, a savoury, spiced finish and a touch of liquorice. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees, in a standard red glass. It suits grilled lamb and roast meats.