Banyuls domaine making Banyuls by mutage and Collioure reds from Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Syrah.
The producer
At Banyuls-sur-Mer, Domaine du Traginer farms more than 18 hectares spread between coast and mountain. Jean-François Deu founded the domaine in 1975 after starting vineyard work young. Organic certification dates from 1997, and the domaine later obtained Demeter certification. The 2025 Rimage is 90% Grenache Noir and 10% Carignan, from vines averaging 40 and 50 years respectively. It ferments spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, receives organic neutral grape spirit for mutage, and matures for eight months in stainless steel.
Known for
Mule ploughing and fortified Banyuls reds
Notable facts
Jean-François Deu founded his own domaine in 1975.
The domaine has been organically certified since 1997.
Part of the vineyard is still ploughed with a mule guided by a Tragineur.
The 2025 Rimage is 90% Grenache Noir and 10% Carignan, from vines averaging 40 and 50 years respectively.
The story
Anicet and the Mule
The name Domaine du Traginer commemorates Jean-François Deu's uncle Anicet, remembered as Banyuls's last mule driver. Traginer is the Catalan word for muleteer. The name refers to vineyard work that remains present at the domaine. Part of the vineyard is still ploughed with a mule, guided by a Tragineur, the Catalan term for a muleteer. Anicet belongs to the domaine's history, while the mule belongs to its present vineyard work. The two details are linked by the same Catalan word, one in family memory and one in the rows.
From the atlas
Domaine du Traginer
Domaine du Traginer farms steep schist slopes at Banyuls-sur-Mer, making Banyuls and Collioure reds from Grenache led grapes with organic and biodynamic methods.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Producer
Domaine du Traginer
Base
Banyuls-sur-Mer
Vineyard
More than 18 hectares
Grapes
Grenache, Grenache Gris, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Syrah
Named wine
Banyuls Rimage Vin doux naturel
The Producer
Jean-François Deu began vineyard work young and founded his own domaine in 1975. Domaine du Traginer has been organically certified since 1997 and later obtained Demeter certification. Deu experimented with biodynamic methods before that certification.
The domaine does not use selected yeasts or enzymes, modern winemaking techniques, or other manipulations. Some wines are bottled without added sulphites when the vintage and must stability permit.
Place
Steep schist upper slopes define the domaine at Banyuls-sur-Mer, where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean. The estate's parcels are dispersed between the coast and the mountains, allowing blends from both settings.
Wines
Red Banyuls are made from Grenache, Grenache Gris and Carignan. Mutage stops fermentation by adding alcohol, followed by long maceration and ageing in century old barrels. Collioure reds use Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Syrah.
The 2024 Banyuls Rimage is 90% Grenache Noir and 10% Carignan. The grapes undergo about one month of skin maceration in temperature controlled vessels, ferment without added yeast, and mature for approximately eight months in stainless steel before bottling without filtration or added sulphur.
In The Glass
The Rimage opens with sloe, blackberry, raisins, dried herbs and gravel, alongside dark cherry and sweet spice. The palate is sweet, just over medium bodied and dark fruited, with an herbal line, low acidity, dry tannins and a fiery finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Banyuls Rimage Vin doux naturel 2024. Rimage is the younger Banyuls style, fortified with grape spirit so natural residual sugar remains. At 16% alcohol, this vintage gives one current bottle for the domaine's fortified red category before the range moves to long macerated red Banyuls and Collioure reds.
Final Word
Domaine du Traginer makes Banyuls and Collioure reds at Banyuls-sur-Mer, with organic and Demeter certified farming, mule worked vineyard parcels, and a Rimage style built around Grenache and natural sweetness.