Domaine Yoyo Banyuls-sur-Mer, Roussillon
Laurence Manya-Krief makes some of the most chic and thirst-quenching wines in the south — whole-cluster, low-intervention, and always alive.
The Winemaker
At 35, Laurence Manya-Krief walked away from a career in fashion to farm some of the most punishing slopes in France.
She may be petite, but she cultivates 5–7 hectares of black schist terraces between the Albères mountains and the Mediterranean — terrain so steep it's worked by horse and mule (Uma). No chemicals, no shortcuts: composts of fruit pulp, feather meal and crab shells keep the soils alive.
Harvest is a joyous, communal affair. Yields sit at an almost impossibly low 10–20 hl/ha, yet the grapes are never overripe. The result is juice of moderate strength that drinks with dangerous ease — the kind of wine that empties bottles before you realise.
In the Cellar
Whole-cluster vinification, native yeast, minimal sulphites — and a fierce commitment to freshness over power.
Yoyo's reds are defined by their fluidity: concentrated fruit counterbalanced by fine acidity and a suave, almost airy texture. Grenache and Carignan from century-old vines form the backbone, with Mourvèdre and others woven in depending on the cuvée.
Whether labelled Banyuls AOP or Vin de France, every bottle carries the same clear intention — maximum pleasure, zero pretension.
Technical Profile
5–7 ha
Total vineyard area
10–20 hl/ha
Exceptionally low yields
80–100+ yrs
Vine age (Grenache & Carignan)
Hand
Harvest method
Black Schist / Granite
Primary soils
0–1 g/hl
Added SO₂ (most cuvées)
Viticulture
- Farming Certified organic (since 2008)
- Tillage Horse & mule (Uma) on steep slopes
- Fertiliser Fruit pulp, feather meal, crab shells
- Pruning Manual; terraces incompatible with machinery
- Yields 10–20 hl/ha (well below AOP limits)
- Harvest By hand; often early August for freshness
Cellar Protocol
- Yeast Indigenous / native only
- Maceration Carbonic or semi-carbonic (5–15 days)
- Stem inclusion Whole cluster or destemmed (cuvée dependent)
- Vessels Stainless steel tanks, barriques, demi-muids
- Fining None
- Filtration None
- Sulphites 0–1 g/hl added; KM31 is zero-added
Sea
Mediterranean breeze, mountain shelter, schist minerality
Albères
Granite foothills at 150–300m elevation
Banyuls
Black schist terraces; 80+ year-old vines
Zero
Chemical fertilisers, herbicides, systemic sprays
Key Cuvées
Technical Data per Release
Akoibon
Cold carbonic maceration for 7 days in stainless steel. Aged 6 months in barrel. Bursting cherry, spice, blackberry and sweet pepper. Juicy, alive, dangerously drinkable.
KM31
Destemmed, semi-carbonic maceration for 12 days in stainless steel. Aged 6 months in used barrels. Pomegranate, watermelon, morello cherry and crushed strawberry.
Alma
Carbonic maceration for 12 days in stainless steel. Cherry, raspberry, redcurrant. Fresh, luscious, supple — a highly digestible pleasure bomb from granitic soils.
Restaké
4-day maceration of Carignan, direct-press Grenache, blended 1 week after press. Ultra-aromatic with freshness and minerality to spare. Long, elegant finish.
La Negra
Semi-carbonic maceration for 15 days. Aged 3 months in barrel. From 80-year-old vines at the foot of the Albères on granite. Fruity, floral, fresh and elegant.
La Vierge Rouge
Destemmed, semi-carbonic maceration for 10 days. Aged in demi-muid. From 80-year-old vines on granite at the foothills of the Albères. Wild label, wild wine.
La Tranchée
Carbonic maceration for 12 days in stainless steel. Aged 6 months in barrels. Syrah added since 2023. No sulphites used during the entire process.
Vent Debout
Direct-press rosé. Gneiss soils. Light, fresh, and immediate. A rare Yoyo rosé made from purchased Syrah fruit outside the estate.
Bateau Ivre
Semi-carbonic maceration for 8 days in stainless steel. Aged a few weeks in barriques. From 80-year-old vines on granite. Volatile and vibrant.