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Listed in alphabetical order
(ignoring Mas, Domaine, La, des etc). As most of these producers are
one-man/woman bands or hubby&wife operations, it's best to email or ring in
advance if you want to tour, talk and taste with the owner/winemaker. Otherwise
you might find the only one at home is the faithful winery dog! If calling from
outside France, add 0033 and drop the first 0.
Page 2: M to Z.
 Mas Alart
Frédéric Belmas and his winemaker
produce attractive, rather than sensational, red Côtes
du Roussillon that can be drunk young while benefiting from a little bottle-age;
barrel-matured Rivesaltes
Hors d'Age
(literally
'beyond age': made from white grapes but slowly
turns golden brown, as the Stranglers once sang, over the years) and
a lively Muscat de Rivesaltes. The Mas also makes a kind of balsamic vinegar
- the smell in the on-site 'factory' (for want of a better word: French has the
handy vinaigrerie) is wonderfully overpowering - and a variety of things from organically
grown almonds. It's not too difficult to find, off the main road heading out
of the village of
Saleilles towards Perpignan;
easy does it down the potholed rustic track that leads to it. Tasted mid October
2006:
2005 Muscat sec, la Vigne de Madame - crisp and fresh with lightly perfumed,
grapey citrus peel notes; clean mineral finish. 83-85
2005 Carignan vieilles vignes - attractive liquorice fruit, juicy black cherry v
dry tannins, quite fine and long. 87
2005 Côtes
du Roussillon (Syrah Grenache Carignan) - young
spicy fruit, quite concentrated yet elegant, ripe v dry textured finish.
87-89
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - fresh and lively honeyed orange peel flavours, nice
bite and length v sugar. 87-89
1994 Rivesaltes
Hors d'Age
- complex rich, oxidised toffee notes on a dried fruit backdrop; good length,
'cut' and maturity v sweet finish. 89-91
Tasted summer 06:
2001
Côtes du Roussillon rouge (13%) - complex
maturing meaty tones layered on liquorice and red pepper fruit, soft and ready
to drink with a little dry tannin left to finish. Approx €4.50
89
Tasted Sept. 2007:
2005 Merlot, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes
(13%) - enticing plum and cassis aromas with gamey earthy edges, slightly
baked/oxidised although this bottle was found on a high supermarket shelf under
a light and it had a plastic cork; quite lush and powerful v a touch of
extracted dry tannins, not exactly elegant but good with sausages. €3.95
85
Off the D22, 66280
Saleilles. Tel: 04 68 50 51 89,
www.mas-alart.fr,
frederic.belmas@wanadoo.fr.
Domaine Arguti
This is Ugo Arguti and his daughter Angélique's
promising little estate, yet another
Bordeaux (Saint-Emilion to be precise) winemaker who realised the Roussillon is better!
On a haphazard journey through the region in April 2004, they were so struck by
the steep elevated (at 300 metres/1000 feet altitude) vine landscape around
Saint-Paul, that they bought four hectares (10 acres) within a few hours. Or so
the romantic story goes...
These two 2006 wines presented at the
Fenouillèdes wine show, held
in April 2007 in Tautavel, were barrel samples.
2006 Grenache Gris, vin de pays - pretty
toasty but creamy and spicy, nice juicy fruit and concentration, weighty yet
fresh too. We'll see how it develops once in bottle.
87-89
2006
Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan Syrah)
- lovely intense aromas, black cherry fruit v rich ripe tannins; delicious
already! 89-91
14 avenue du 16 août 1944, 66220 St-Paul de Fenouillet. Tel: 05 57 74 69 82 (in
Bordeaux), mobile 06 80 18 36 22,
domaine.arguti@wanadoo.fr.
 Domaine
L'Ausseil
First of all, a few words to accompany Anne and Jacques de
Chancel's inspiring bird- and bug-labelled (designed by Anne) wines.
The 'company flyer' (a more than adequate A4 photocopy actually) begins thus: "Searching for a spot
of terrain to make wines we like, we landed, almost by chance, in January 2001
in Latour de France..." Can't blame them, it's beautiful and very northern-Roussillon around here:
a dry fractured rocky patchwork of windswept old vineyards.
Talking of which, nearly half of Ausseil's (means bird in Occitan - this area
marks the ancient border between Catalan and Oc country) 12.5 ha/30 acres is
planted with 70-100 year old Carignan; followed by Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre,
Grenache Gris, Macabeu and some Merlot too. 2007 marked the beginning of the
quest for organic certification, as they were already in to working the soil
(instead of drenching it in nasty chemicals) and using
natural compost (smelly but effective). Wines tasted at the
Fenouillèdes wine show, held
in April 2007 in Tautavel:
2005 Libellule, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes blanc (mostly Macabeu)
- interesting appley intensity leads to a rounder creamier palate, mineral
freshness v quite fat mouth-feel. €8 87+
2005 Papillon, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes blanc (mostly Grenache Gris)
- spicier and honeyed, milky edges on a quite crisp and fresh length; lots of
character and style, a tad of light oak but well-handled. €14
90
2005 P'tit Piaf rosé, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes
(Mourvèdre) - fresh and aromatic yet meaty too v
raspberry and cream fruit, zingy structured length. €4.90
87+
2004 Cot Côtes, Côtes
du Roussillon rouge (mostly
Carignan)
- perfumed and floral nose leads to a quite rustic soupy palate, rich with
appealing fruit and light grip; a little too smoky in style but still good. €7
87
2004 La Capitelle, Latour de France Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (Carignan
Syrah
Grenache)
- tighter finer wine, lush yet floral black cherry and liquorice, nice peppery
edges, firm fresh finish. €8 90-92
2003 La Capitelle, Latour de France Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (Carignan
Syrah
Grenache)
- more fruit forward than the 04 with violet and black cherry notes, liquorice v
savoury palate, dry firm and powerful suffused with rich maturing fruit. €8
90
2004 Les Trois Pierres, Latour de France Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (50%
Syrah) - 100% barriques and it shows: more
toasted chocolate on the nose, quite extracted and choco palate yet lush and
firm; dry finish, closes up. €14 89-91
2003 Les Trois Pierres, Latour de France Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (50%
Syrah) - attractive herbal black cherry
aromas, the oak is much more in the background, again solid framework v lush
fruit. €14 90
2003 Drôle d'Oiseau, Latour de France Côtes
du Roussillon Villages - rather barrel heavy, charred extracted palate, a bit
too much. €24!
Boulevard Gambetta, 66720 Latour de France. Tel: 04 68 29 18 68,
info@lausseil.com,
www.lausseil.com.
 Domaine
Berta-Maillol
This "perhaps 400
year old" estate is situated a few km inland from the town centre, near the Maillol
museum (well-known artist who is a relative) and the riot of a 'road' that
eventually climbs over the Col de Banyuls into Spain. The Berta-Maillol family
loves to
chat enthusiastically about the region's wines - how they're made, history, what to eat with them
- while tasting with you in the old cellar. In fact, there are some lovely recipe
ideas on their website (see below). Banyuls is
obviously their pride and joy - the appellation stretches across the rugged
slopes behind and between the seaside towns of Collioure, Port-Vendres,
Banyuls-sur-Mer and Cerbère - and these fortified red wines
slowly improve as they mature...
2004 Collioure Arrels (mostly Grenache plus
Mourvèdre Carignan
Syrah) - perfumed blackcurrant and
cherry with lavender notes, quite tangy yet attractive fruit to finish.
85
2004 Collioure Barral - grippier and a little spicier with background oak
v chunky fruit; odd sort of glue smell to start but has a better finish.
83-85
2005 Banyuls blanc (Grenache
blanc
& gris
plus
Muscat) - nice aromatic
style, sweet honey and flowers v fresh zingy finish; somewhat youthful showing
promise. 87
2004 Banyuls (Grenache) - appealing black cherry, prune and leather notes;
not very sweet with lively alcohol and light tannins on its good length.
87-89
2003 Banyuls - more oxidised and sweeter, delicious liquorice and
prune fruit followed by nice bite. 87
2001 Banyuls - meatier with stronger leather tones, lovely rich
liquorice flavours within its complex developing fruit; long and well integrated
tannins/alcohol, a bit drier than the 03. 90+
Banyuls Hors d'Age (solera method: average age 5 to 8 years with a
tiny proportion much older) - intricate savoury v toffee aromas, rounded and
tasty palate with roast beef and prune notes; very long finish, a real treat.
92-94
Mas Paroutet, Route des Mas, 66650
Banyuls-sur-Mer.
Tel: 04 68 88 00 54,
domaine.berta-maillol@tele2.fr,
www.bertamaillol.com.
 Dom Brial
- Vignerons de Baixas - Château les Pins
Let me explain: the cooperative cellars in the
pretty village of Baixas (west of Perpignan airport) go under the brand name
Dom Brial - some of the wines with bright, sense-of-humour labels (lipstick &
fruit) and others
more trad - and own Château les Pins, their premium estate a stone's throw
away. With this wide grape source "we can adapt to make what sells and what customers want," Claude Sarda told us during an enlightening, late summer visit.
He
also said there's a surplus of Vins Doux Naturels (sweet fortified whites and
reds) but not really dry wines, the production ratio being about one-third to
two-thirds. Their preferred solution is to come up with ideas to sell more sweet
wines - this used to be a massive market in France - rather than stop making
them. Either option is a brave choice...
Grapes from Les Pins are hand-sorted by
about half-a-dozen people in the cellar; in general, control and traceability of the grapes'
health,
quality, sugar levels, provenance etc. are quite strict, as it should be in any big
winery. Technical advisers work with the co-op growers (300 of them) in their vineyards, and everything is weighed and
analysed on the spot when they deliver the fruit, before they proceed to
unload. I'll spare you the chemical analysis but can confirm the little lab has
a machine that goes ping. The winery, which takes up half of the village,
has been totally refitted over the last ten years; so plenty of stainless steel
and other shiny geeky stuff.
2002 Château les Pins Côtes du Roussillon blanc, vinifié en barriques (Grenache Blanc
Malvoisie Roussanne) -
oily oxidised development, fat-textured quite toasty yet concentrated; not for
everyone and definitely needs food. €9 85+
2005 Rozy, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Muscat
Syrah) - quirky blend for this light, cheekily packaged (bikini clad
bottle) rosé: fresh and aromatic with tangy finish, perfumed and easy yet has a
bit of weight too. €4.50 82-84
2004 Dom Brial les Terres Rouges, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan, 13.5%) -
nice peppery rustic black cherry and cassis notes, aromatic fruit v light grip
and bite. €6 87
2002 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Elevé en fût de chêne (13.5%) - smoky
mature liquorice nose, rustic black fruit set on a rounded soft palate; nice for
2002 (difficult vintage here). €6 87-89
2002 Château les Pins Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan)
- similar to above but more complex and liquoricey, smoky perfumed fruit with
elegant long finish. They also sell quite a few older vintages in their shop.
€8.50
90+
2004 Château les Pins Rivesaltes Primage (Grenache, 15.5%) -
attractive mix of sweet blackberry and leathery maturity, sugar-coated mouthful
cut by drier tannins. €8 87-89
Above tasted on 5/9/06 - see wines of
the moment for reviews of other Brial wines, which are mostly sold in France
at the moment although they have plans to increase their presence in the UK and
US.
Tasted summer 2007:
2006 Le Pot rosé (Syrah
Cabernet 13%) - quite fat and juicy start with strawberry and redcurrant
fruit, more elegant dry fresh finish. €3.50 87
Cave de Vignerons, 66390
Baixas.
Tel: 04 68 64 22 37,
contact@dom-brial.com,
www.dom-brial.com.
 Château
de Caladroy
Overall an impressive range from Serge and Jean
Philippe Maurin-Agen's recently revitalised chateau 'up in them there hills...'
although once again I was least impressed by the supposed top wine, too dolled
up in 'impressive' new oak and rather heavy winemaking (knock this fashion on
the head please!). Anyway, the rest are rather tasty and better value for money
in MHO.
A wee bit of history is called for, as Bélesta really is an extraordinary place
lost in time. Originally, the castle was built in the 12th Century to defend the
border between France and 'Spain', or rather Catalonia/Aragon depending on the
date (click
here for a fascinating summary of the region's complicated history).
Restored and rebuilt over the years, it reflects a mixture of architectural
styles depending on who was paying. The Saint Barthélémy de Caladroer chapel
dates from the same era, and they had the bright idea of turning it into a
discreet tasting cellar. You can also buy the estate's grape juice jam and olive
oil here. These wines tasted at the
Fenouillèdes wine show, held
in April 2007 in Tautavel:
2006 Rosé
des Vents, Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Grenache Carignan Mourvèdre)
- quite tight and zippy framework v gentle strawberry and raspberry fruit, fresh
long finish. €6.20 87-89
2005 Cuvée Les Schistes, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah
Grenache Carignan) - lovely juicy blackberry/cherry, perfumed v
liquorice; very fruity with light tannin backdrop. €7.20
89
2005 La Cour Carrée, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (25% each Mourvèdre
Syrah Grenache Carignan) - similar aromas and fruit style to above but
more concentrated, liquorice charm v oomph and grip, nice balance. €10
90
2004 La Juliane, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre
Grenache) - smokier more rustic and savoury v lush black cherry fruit,
firm and fresh with good length and power. €13 90-92
2004 Saint Michel, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (at least half Mourvèdre
plus Syrah Grenache) - lots of vanilla and
chocolate oak, extracted tannins, robust closed up finish; more serious perhaps
but more enjoyable? €22
66720 Bélesta de la Frontière. Tel: 04 68 57
10 25, contact@caladroy.com,
www.caladroy.com.
Domaine Calvet-Thunevin
Jean-Luc Thunevin needs little
introduction (Château Valandraud and other St-Emilion properties); winegrower
Jean-Roger Calvet is the local
partner in this Maury-based estate and the one who runs it day to day. The
Thunevin name has certainly attracted a lot of
attention (and high prices too) to the domaine and this area on the whole; an d
soon you won't be able to miss it arriving in Maury from the Estagel direction,
as they're building a huge winery and shop
at the village entrance. He, Jean-Roger (a charming down to earth chap by the
way) and their American importer (New York's Eric Solomon) have recently
purchased a further 10 hectares in the Lesquerde area to the south, bringing the
estate to 60 ha/150 acres. They've also set up a merchant company to buy in
grapes to boost production, so obviously believe in the region's future.
Interesting to note that this very red-focused producer is starting to make a
few traditional sweet VDN wines "to see if it
works," JR told me.
The following were tasted in the Dom CT
cellar (a genuine 'garage' in fact), April 2007.
2004 Cuvée Constance,
vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Grenache Carignan)
- lightly leafy, a bit reduced even? Odd slightly
sour palate to start, however it ends up quite firmly structured and elegant
actually. Needs airing maybe? €6
2004 Les Dentelles, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (mainly old Grenache Carignan)
- quite toasty coco oak but less obvious than previous vintages (e.g. 2002),
firm Bordeaux style with floral cherry fruit; nice texture of fine spicy
tannins, again quite elegant. €18 87-89
2003 Hugo, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Carignan)
- more seductive with juicy liquorice and tobacco fruit, very rich with firm
chocolate oak; powerful but not so overblown. €30 88-90
2004 Les Trois Marie, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (mostly Grenache)
- appealing rich glob of liquorice, black cherry and lightly oxidised leather; coco
oak layered palate that again still finishes a bit too much on the wood tannins,
although there is sweet fruit underneath. €100! 90 perhaps. Admittedly, the oak
started to calm down a little on these wines over lunch.
13 rue Pierre Curie, 66460
Maury. Tel: 04 68
59 20 73, calvet.marie@wanadoo.fr,
www.thunevin.com.
Camp del Roc
I can't find any info on Philippe Botet's winery
at the mo (you should see my desk: I have a tech sheet hidden somewhere... I
also can't find a website either), so here are a few comments on his eclectic
wines at least, tasted at the
Fenouillèdes wine show held
in April 2007 in Tautavel:
2004 Singularis blanc (Carignan Blanc) -
unusual spicy celery notes v light cream, still has some freshness v fat fruit.
85-87
2006 Rosé de Presse - a bit strange, goes into barriques: surprisingly has lots
of lively strawberry and raspberry fruit v rounded coconut palate; kinda works.
87
2006 Roc Petit (Carignan Lledoner Pelut Syrah) - nice crunchy fruit with light vanilla undertones, grippier
finish than you think it's going to be. By the way,
Lledoner Pelut is a natural mutation of black Grenache: there's a bit
here and there in the Roussillon. 87
2005 Vinum Patris, Côtes du Roussillon (Carignan
Lledoner Pelut Cinsault) - quite a bit of oak but nice fruit
too and freshness underneath, textured dry tannins v ripeness; not sure about
that oak though. 87
2005 Erant Olim (100 year old Tempranillo) - a bit
baked on the nose, leads on to quite rich fruit with an oaky backdrop; has a
'modern' Catalunya/Navarra edge, nice texture but too much oak.
2005 La Frontera (Syrah) - lots of spicy oak, nice ripe fruit and texture, firm
but fine grained. We'll see.
6 rue du Barry, 66130 Montalba-Le-Château.
Tel: 04.68.35.22.54,
phbotet@wanadoo.fr.
 Château La Casenove
I tasted most of Etienne Montès' Catalan delights
on a fact (and wine) finding mission in May 2007 (and re-tasted the leftovers
over the following few days), as you'll see below. Catalan
indeed: Etienne now chooses to label all of his wines as vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes
in stoical protest, as he fell out with the Roussillon AOC authorities (part
philosophical, political and financial: it's a long-ish story...). Casenove
is an enchanting serene backwater found down a dirt track signposted off the
main road between Trouillas and the N9 (Perpignan-Le Boulou); even if it is
located not far from the motorway and the new high-speed train line to Barcelona
that's being frantically built, although you wouldn't know it once you're there.
Out stepped a laid-back colourfully cardigan-ed Etienne Montès, who takes great
pleasure in showing around, talking and tasting with someone "interested in what
we're doing." We discussed many things, although his views on Carignan and
Les Aspres Côtes du Roussillon zone are especially worthy of note. The oldest
Carignan among Casenove's 50 ha/125 acres dates from 1934, which is "still
good... I'd like more old vines in general," while summarising his father's and
his re/planting programme over the years. The oldest Syrah is a relative baby at
32 years old with more planted in 1994.
"It's too hot for Syrah in certain areas, and the Grenache we have here isn't so
well adapted to the Aspres; you have to be selective. I think we should use more
Carignan because of hotter vintages, yet we're told we should decrease the
amount of Carignan so they can do a Languedoc in the Roussillon. I'm against
this commercial rather than philosophical policy." The Aspres sub-appellation
rules limit the amount of Carignan growers are permitted to put in their blend
and also extends into the Albères (the hills bordering Spain). "We talked about
it for 10 years, they should have chosen Albères for the name. I've never
labelled as Aspres as it was wrong from the start by dictating the varieties,"
Etienne concluded. His wines are well distributed in Switzerland, Germany,
Denmark, Canada and the US.
2004 Masia M 'Roussillon red wine' (from the most productive
Grenache & Carignan
13.5%) - he hopes to build this label into a kind-of mini-brand. Light red
pepper and cherry fruit, dry grip and a little weight v easy fruit. Re-tasted:
less leafy and more open, cherry with liquorice edges. €6
85
2005 Masia M - more generous and rustic than the 04 with richer fruit and chunkier tannins;
bigger with rounded mouth-feel, power and grip. Re-tasted: more seductive with
earthy black fruits, quite powerful and firm v lush. €6
87
2004 La Garrigue, Domaine La Casenove (Carignan Grenache Syrah
14.5%) - a bit closed on the nose (had just been bottled), black cherry
elderberry and 'inky' liquorice fruit on the palate; quite powerful yet elegant
too, subtle fruit v coating of tannins, balanced length closing up a little on
the finish. Re-tasted: denser brambly elderberry fruit; quite rich, extracted,
powerful and firm v fine fresh intensity and finish.
89-91
2004 Torrespeyres, Domaine La Casenove (Carignan Syrah
14.5%) - fragrant black cherry / blueberry with background coconut oak, fairly
intense fruit with dark chocolate nuances; this has bite, grip and power on its
tight long finish. Re-tasted: dense and powerful palate with peppery blueberry /
blackberry and lusher liquorice; firm and commanding with floral v dark choc v
savoury veneer. 90-92
2004 cuvée Francois Jaubert (Syrah) - spicy
vanilla oak v chunky fruit and tannins; more 'international' in style but still
shows that hallmark fine grip, bite and balanced power. Re-tasted: still quite
vanilla oaky but has depth, class and savoury development; robust firm palate v
fruit/oak sweetness. 88-90
2001 Rivesaltes rouge - open for a week: quite oxidised black plum and
dark roast coffee tones give way to a savoury v sweet palate with bitter choc
and blackberry tinges; firm tannins v rounded sweet & sour fruit, powerful but
not fiery. 89-91
1998 Rivesaltes ambré (Grenache Macabeu) -
the casks spent 2-3 years outside, bottled in 2006: roasted coconut and maple
notes, pecan pie richness v tangy coating; oxidised sweetness v fine freshness
from the alcohol and acidity. 90-92
Pedro Montès (2003 vintage Grenache Blanc,
sun-dried leaving 80 grams of natural residual sugar and 9% alc) - super raisin
aromas with complex Madeira type volatility, very
lush yet has nice freshness too. Different: apparently popular with a few
Copenhagen restaurants. Etienne commented: "VDN
wines need this kind of character otherwise they're just sugar and alcohol."
Consumed (in moderation) August 2007:
2000 Pla del Rei, Domaine St-Luc, Côtes du Roussillon (14.5%) - quite
rustic and smoky nose, complex fruit development with savoury v liquorice v
leather tones; rich dense palate, quite big alcohol but off-set by nice maturity
v solid structure, multi-layered; quite sexy although a bit (too) rustic /
bretty? 90?
La Casenove, 66300 Trouillas. Tel: 04 68 21 66 33,
chateau.la.casenove@wanadoo.fr,
rhone.vignobles.free.fr/pagesgb/montes.htm.
Vignerons Catalans en
Roussillon
We tried a number of wines from their broad portfolio over dinner at the posh Villa Duflot restaurant in Perpignan (many thanks, couldn't afford to eat there
myself!), where the Catalans' export manager François Trouquet talked about
their hopes and dreams. The funky Fruité Catalan trio, launched in summer
2005 (click here
for more info), has apparently sold over 1 million bottles so far (Sept. 06) and they'd like to
exceed 10 million by 2010. Ambitious indeed: François described it as "a mission
for the Roussillon" in true Blues Brothers style, even if it wasn't dark and he
wasn't wearing sunglasses... To get there, they've ploughed in €4 million in the
first year with at least another €5 mill to come.
FC is a "regional project" (forgive the marketing speak) to "help growers here
in the Roussillon." There are 60 estates and 4 co-ops involved, who submit
samples of the specified wines and then obviously bulk wine for the final blends
if selected. As for the wines themselves, I found the 2005s better than the
2004s launched originally: the rosé is nice enough,
fresh and crisp with light raspberry fruit; the white
has benefited from more Muscat in it and red tastes
a bit gutsier. VC are talking to UK supermarket buyers with a view to getting
wide distribution at £4.99 or £3.99 on promotion. So we'll see. Those cunning Catalans also recently introduced two
flowery butterfly,
2006 Primeur wines into French supermarkets (€2.95): see
wines of
the moment and for reviews of others from the stable. Here's my pick of the
ones we tasted on 4/9/06 in the restaurant in addition to Fruité Catalan:
1995 Rivesaltes Ambré (16%) - strange choice to start with perhaps
(strong and sweet), but this was good with the foie gras (right-off but
irresistible)! Toffee and walnut
flavours with smoky complex aromas and finish.
2003 Château Cuchous Côtes du Roussillon Villages (13.5%) - mint
and spice notes mix with black cherry and earthy liquorice, soft yet powerful
palate with rounded fruit and tannins; drinking now.
87+
2001 Caramany Haute Coutume 'Gneiss des Capitelles,' Côtes du Roussillon
Villages (Syrah Carignan Grenache 13%) - smoky mint
with light red pepper tones, 'cheesy' and intricate; soft and mature yet still
has nice dry grip too, making it good with the lamb dish.
90
2000 Caramany 'Schistes de Trémoine' Côtes du Roussillon Villages
- a little richer and more rustic than above, more developed with soft shorter
finish. 87
The 'brand extension' (to use the marketing babble) continues -
tasted summer 2007:
2006 Terroir Catalan rosé, Côtes du Roussillon
(Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre 13%) - nice lively red
fruits with light grip even, quite full and satisfying. Good but dear at €4.99.
85
Tasted April 2008:
2007 Rasiguères Côtes du Roussillon Villages (14%) - full-on chunky black
fruit and tannins, lively and fruity modern-styled red with liquorice edges,
quite serious backbone and dry grip even so. €3.95 87
1870 avenue Julien Panchot, BP 29000, 66962 Perpignan
Cedex 9. Tel: 04 68 85 04 51,
www.vigneronscatalans.com.
 Domaine
Cazes
A quick visit, chat and tasting (mid Sept 2006) in their shop at the winery in Rivesaltes, just north of Perpignan, revealed the wines below. You'll also find
a couple more in my Millésime Bio 2006
report, meaning Cazes is organically farmed with a view to gradually integrating
biodynamic methods across the whole
estate.
It's pretty big (170 hectares/420 acres), so it must be
back-breaking to apply all those 'alternative medicines' to that many vines.
Maybe the sheer size and resultant range form part of a slight
criticism I have: too large perhaps, as some of the wines aren't that
exciting considering their reputation and higher than average prices. However, some are.
2005 Muscat-Viognier, vin de pays d'Oc - the
Viognier adds weight, spice and exotic fruit without overpowering the
Muscat, which lends a mineral slightly bitter
finish; falls a little short after promising start.
2000 Credo Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, vin de
pays d'Oc - a bit oxidised (been open too long probably) and oaky, developing
leather and cassis notes on the palate, mature fruit v light bite of tannins; the
oak's also a bit dominant on the finish.
Libre Expression, Rancio Sec (Macabeu, 16%)
- you'll think it's going to be sweet thanks to the rich ripe honeyed
characters, but it's off dry with a tangy mineral finish. Different.
Rivesaltes cuvée Aimé Cazes 1976 (80% Grenache Blanc
20% Grenache)
- complex developed pecan nut and 'cheesy' Madeira notes, mouth-coating richness
v oxidised fruit, nice fresh finish considering its age and sweetness (110g/l).
90+
Update March 2007. I met the
energetic Lionel Lavail, who heads up an expanding family empire backed by big
Languedoc house Jeanjean. The group now takes in the Cazes brand,
Mas de Lavail near Maury (Lionel's uncle, aunt and
cousin), Domaine des Hospices (his parents' estate near Canet) and Cazes' project
with co-ops in the Latour de France appellation (see below). Business talk
aside, from the visitor's point of view, summer 07 saw a refit for the tasting
room and shop and plans for an organic café-deli are well under way...
2006 Canon
Muscat-Viognier, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes
- nice aromatic mix of grape and apricot, crisp yet quite fat, dry v fruity;
good commercial style. 80+
2006 Canon Syrah/Merlot/Grenache
rosé, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - zingy
floral red fruit cocktail, crisp and clean. 83+
2005 Canon Syrah/Merlot, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes
- light and creamy with tangy currant fruit and spice.
80+
2005 Château de Triniac, Latour de France Côtes
du Roussillon Villages - attractive black cherry and liquorice notes, successful
mix of medium-bodied ripe fruit v nice dry grip, needs a few months to round out
a little. France €4 US $9 UK £5 87
2000 Credo Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
- tasted rather cold, but showing perfumed sweet oak with nice gamey edges
coming through, concentrated v quite elegant; the oak's still a bit dominant
over nevertheless good underlying fruit and length.
89+?
Tasted summer 2007:
2006 Syrah rosé, Domaine des Hospices, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes
(12%) - vibrantly coloured and fruity dry rosé with crunchy red fruits, light
creaminess and crisp bite. 85
2006 Muscat sec, les Hospices de Canet, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes
(12.5%) - nice, well-made style with plenty of aromatic grape and citrus fruit;
crisp, dry and fresh v a little rounded too. 85
4 rue Francisco Ferrer, 66600
Rivesaltes. Tel: 04 68 64 08 26,
www.cazes-rivesaltes.com.
Domaine des Chênes
When we called in on Alain Razungles just outside the village of Vingrau on the
hot sunny morning of 5th September 2006, they
were picking the first bunches of Carignan - some of the vines at least 90 years old
-
at his 30 ha (75 acre) domaine. It sits serenely in one of the most
breathtaking spots where you'd ever imagine finding vines (despite a ten year struggle to stop some indifferent multinational from turning
the area into a dirty great mine:
more
details on this site and
this one, only in French).
The 'cirque de Vingrau' is edged by steep, rough limestone cliffs and hills,
actually an outer limb of the Corbières, located about
30 km northwest of Perpignan. It's a haunting place where you feel isolated yet surrounded and like you're being watched; and not surprisingly popular with rock climbers. Alain has planted
"quite a bit of Syrah," the youngest of which "is too productive at the moment for
my best wines." Relatively speaking: yields in this wild terrain aren't large. Plantings rise from 130 to 400 metres (400-1250 feet) altitude,
which could explain why he has 50% white grapes, very unusual here, as they
retain nice fresh acidity. Varieties include old Grenache gris & blanc and Roussanne
introduced from the northern Rhone.
2005 Les Olivettes, vin de pays d'Oc (Muscat Macabeu
Grenache Blanc) - lightly aromatic with clean mineral palate, refreshing
acidity and intensity v weightier yet elegant length.
87+
2003 Les Sorbiers Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache
Blanc Macabeu, 14%) - aged 6 months in oak: light toast and cream with
spicy celery notes v fat milky mouth-feel and apricot fruit, yet fresh acidity on
the finish. 90
2004 Les Magdaléniens (Grenache Blanc Roussanne,
13%) - richer and more buttery with honeysuckle fruit, again fresh mineral
acidity; aromatic qualities help balance the toastiness.
88
2005 Festa Major rosé Côtes du Roussillon
(mostly Syrah, 13%) - lovely creamy raspberry fruit
v white pepper tones set against crisp mineral texture; delicious.
87-89
2004 Les Grands-Mères vieilles vignes Côtes du Roussillon Villages
(mostly Carignan, 13%) - a bit
reductive/sulphide on the nose? Cassis and plum
fruit comes through with a spicy chocolate layer, seems to lack generosity but
it's rather closed up on the finish; not sure...
2004 Le Mascarou, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (Carignan Syrah Grenache,
14.5%) - smokier and meatier, spicy cassis fruit leads to a firm tight and fresh
finish; needs time, very promising. 89-91
2003 La Carissa, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (Syrah Grenache Carignan Mourvèdre,
14.5%) - sumptuous aromatic spice with light cedar tones, nice black fruit
concentration v fresh bite and elegant intensity. 90-92
2004 Muscat de Rivesaltes - richer very
grapey style yet retains that hallmark freshness and mineral character,
attractively full and sweet v lively cut on the finish.
90
2001 Rivesaltes Ambré - aromatic baked walnut with
volatile complexity, very intense and long, good
balance of sugar and alcohol. 92-94
2001 Rivesaltes Tuilé - attractive leather notes and black plum,
rich mouth coating v fresh bite, powerful yet sweet and tannic. Woof.
90
L'Oublié Rancio sec (Macabeu 13.5%) -
literally one barrel forgotten about for 4 years (actually 95 vintage): dry
Amontillado style, old & oxidised yet fresh tangy and very long.
90
Domaine des Chênes is stocked by Lea & Sandeman in London.
7 rue du Maréchal Joffre, 66600 Vingrau.
Tel: 04 68 38 92 01.
 Domaine
du Mas des Clots
Michel Piquemal took over this off the beaten
track estate in 1982, which is lost in the middle of nowhere almost into the Corbières
(you need to take the Opoul road out of Salses under the motorway, keep going
and follow the sign to the right until you run out of 'road'). Michel works all
his 30 ha/75 acres himself and organically as well, which he says "is good for
export but in France most people don't care!" The predominant varieties planted
are Grenache and Mourvèdre, and he makes about 60% red wines, 30%
VDN and 10 rosé/white.
Like many growers in the region, he despairs at the Roussillon's (unjustifiably) wanting image
especially outside France, with the Languedoc usually hogging the limelight: "don't talk
to me about the Languedoc, we're Catalan here!" There was some underlying irony there,
especially as the Mas is a stone's throw from the 'border' with the Aude region
and hence Languedoc. However, he thinks the 'South of France' labelling-idea
could be good for some producers, whereas "I'm small small small." Meaning it's
better for growers like him to focus on terroir
and "micro-cuvées" to keep a point of difference and sharper identity,
even if it makes this kind of wines more complicated to understand: "it's also their very charm," as Michel
put it. On the entertainment front, he occasionally organises tastings with
vineyard
barbeque in conjunction with other organic growers. The MDC wines are
reasonably priced too: from €4.50 to €6.50 for the reds and €8 to €11.30 for
VDNs. I tasted these two vat/barrel samples in March 2007:
2006 blend of mostly Grenache and
Syrah - lovely fruit and spice v grip and power, fresh bite too on
its long finish. 87-89
2005 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (after 18 months in oak) - nice spicy
coconut backdrop to a tight firm palate; good depth of black fruits, length and
again freshness. 87-89
Mas dels Clots, 66600
Salses le Château. Tel: 04 68 64 20 13,
mobile 06 61 20 99 40;
michel.piquemal@masdesclots.com,
www.masdesclots.com.
Domaine de la Coume Majou
Belgian Luc Charlier has a cosy garage cellar next to his house in sleepy Corneilla,
but his 10 ha (25 acres) of vineyards are scattered around the villages of
Maury, Estagel and Tautavel. He bought the former in 2005 and
latter in 2004 thereby joining the growing band of new wave, take a chance on a
dream winegrowers. "I originally wanted to buy in
Bandol but the prices are much too
high," he told me. "The Roussillon is the least expensive, and I discovered and liked
the area's wines thanks to the great Gérard Gauby." Luc also firmly believes,
like his fellow Maury growers, that "we have the best Grenache in the world
along with Chateauneuf, Rasteau etc."
Luc also said he's aiming for "perhaps" three red cuvées - one from Syrah + press
wine, the Majou main label based on Grenache / Carignan and cuvée Casot,
mostly Grenache from his best Maury sites. His unusual rosé is made from Syrah,
white Macabeu, Grenache Gris plus free-run (red) Grenache juice. However, Luc
doesn't really believe in Syrah in this region "unless it's high up or in good chalk/clay
soils, such as Vingrau, Tautavel or Rasiguères." Another striking and
original feature of Coume
Majou is the absence of barrels in the cellar: for the moment, the wines are
kept briefly in vat before bottling. (Posted February 2007 when I tasted these:)
2006 rosé tank sample (12%, 8 grams/litre
residual sugar) - rounded full and creamy with crisp vegetal edge and a touch of
dry tannin too, off dry with fresh acidity.
2006 Casot tank sample (15%) - lovely ripe cherry and liquorice fruit v
firm bitter twist and freshness, elegant concentration and depth of fruit,
powerful but not too.
2005 Cuvée Miquelet - wild black and red fruits, ripe and rich v lively
freshness, grip and alcohol; powerful but very fruity.
87
2005 Cuvée Majou (15%) - darker and richer black cherry/currant with
pepper and liquorice notes, delicious depth of fruit v power and firm tight
length, lively yet quite soft finish. 90
Coume Majou wines are currently only available direct, or in selected wine shops
in Belgium at a somewhat bold €15-€25. Update September 07: Luc is going to make a small
amount of Maury VDN from the 2007 vintage; and the French Guide Hachette 2008
has been saying nice things about his wines. More info to follow...
11 rue de l'Eglise, 66550 Corneilla de la Rivière.
Tel: 04 68 51 84 83,
charlier.luc@wanadoo.fr.
 Coume del Mas
Underneath this blurb you'll find my notes on some of Philippe Gard's excellent range of
Collioure and Banyuls wines, tasted in his winery in May 2007. His - and
similarly enlightened growers', e.g. the Parcé brothers at
La Rectorie - Banyuls winemaking illustrates why there's a
minor renaissance for these delicious Port-like red wines (think chocolate
desserts or why not with a strong curry even). The richer, fruitier, more
tannic, less oxidised and livelier styles seem to appeal more to younger people
turned off by sometimes tired, thin and brown-coloured wines. Having said that, the best cask-aged Banyuls 'Grand Cru' type
bottles can be sublimely complex. For the CDM Quintessence,
Philippe is "not looking for oxidation" and the fruit just shines
through; and the sweeter Galateo style was "created in
2003 for a Belgian chocolate maker," he told me.
Perhaps the real stars though are his Collioure reds and white and rosé
(actually 80% of production): the
appellation area and terroir are essentially the
same as for Banyuls, although certain sites or varieties are favoured or
mandatory for fortified wines. Grenache is the central grape for both at CDM -
Philippe has 11 ha/27 acres of old bush vine red Grenache, which he considers
the maximum as "vineyard work is too manual here" - with new plantings (6-10
years ago) of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache Gris (for the increasingly
sought-after white) being phased in to the Collioure blends. Philippe is one of
several who believe that appellation should be "based on crus (or quality
of vineyard sites) rather than varieties," and that part of AOC Collioure's
success is due to its "greater flexibility from the start" (as opposed to Côtes du Roussillon Villages
where Syrah or Mourvèdre are required, however good your Grenache and Carignan
are). "There are less growers here and the co-ops have less power to influence
regulations." Anyway, enough of the politics; what about the wines...
2006 Folio Collioure blanc (Grenache Gris) - lightly
toasty notes on top of attractively juicy and exotic apricot and honeysuckle; spicy v fat
mouth-feel, nice length and freshness v ripe and toasty.
89
2006 Farniente Collioure rosé (Grenache
Grenache Gris)
- lovely strawberry and raspberry fruit, rich v fresh bite with a touch of dry
tannin even, fleshy fruit and 14% alcohol weight v crisp length. Yum.
87-89
2005 Schistes Collioure rouge (mostly old vine
Grenache 14.5%)
- deliciously pure aromatic black cherry, liquorice and sweet herbs; juicy and
ripe v firm and fresh structure; great balance of power, tension, lush natural
fruit and spicy length. More yum. 92-94
2005 Quintessence Banyuls (Grenache
17.5% 80 grams/litre residual sugar)
- piquant black fruits with light coconut tones, quite extracted tannins v rich
sweet fruit with engaging purity; grippier and drier than many Banyuls, and all
the better for it. 92-94
2006 Galateo Banyuls (Grenache
16% 100 grams/litre residual sugar)
- attractive luscious fruit, sweeter and less extracted than the above but still
vibrant and fresh too. 88-90
Les Cosprons (winery, by appointment), 66650
Banyuls-sur-Mer. Tel: 04 68 88 37 03,
coumedelmas@tiscali.fr.
La Coume du Roy
The
de Volontat-Bachelet family
has a
shop down on the main road coming into Maury, but the real fun goes on
in the cellar up the hill. At least, fun to watch Jean-Francois ("a bit crazy") clamber around behind and on
top of huge old casks drawing off samples of different ages and styles of Maury
wines, and tasting them just as they come - the vintage dates below are correct by
the way. He
amusingly described himself as "only the husband and winemaker, my wife's (Agnès) the
owner," who is in fact the sixth generation owner of these cramped cellars
(built in 1932) and 25 ha (62 acres) that provide the grapes.
 There
are essentially two styles of Maury both using mainly the same variety:
Grenache noir (and
Macabeu, Grenache
blanc
& gris for
the rarer white). The more oxidised, aged one where (for red) the grapes undergo
a 4-5 day maceration on skins and short fermentation to obtain colour and desired sugar
level, then are pressed and the juice fortified with spirit. The other style is
said to
date from around 1990: 'muté sur grains' meaning the entire must, including berries, is
fortified stopping the fermentation at around 80-85 grams/litre residual sugar;
followed by about 4 weeks maceration with the skins before pressing, which gives
richer colour and tannins. This wine is bottled relatively quickly and aged in bottle before
release (closer to Vintage Port in style); whereas the traditional approach is
to mature it in vats and/or old casks or even
glass demijohns outside to promote oxidation (more like Banyuls Grand Cru or
Tawny styles).
Coume du Roy also make Muscat de Rivesaltes and a little
Côtes du Roussillon Villages red. As for Maury,
there's often a story behind each of the great vintages kept back and when
they're transferred from cask. There's still a tiny bit left of the original
1880 (see note below); the 1939 was replaced by the 2000,
their daughter's birth date; the 01 with the 98, the year they took over the
property etc. Apparently up to 10% of the wine is lost per year in evaporation.
Apart from doing 35 wine shows in France every year,
Jean-Francois is active
in the US, Japan, Belgium and Denmark. They also "sell a lot to British tourists
but very little in the UK," he said, proving that people do like unfamiliar
wines once they've tried them. Tasted 4th Sept 2006:
2004 Maury from vat ('muté sur grain') - lovely spicy blackberry fruit,
aromatic and rich with light leather notes; power v sweetness v nice bite. €10
87+
2004 Maury from vat (traditional)
- more subdued with more chocolate and leather, lighter palate with alcohol and
sugar less integrated at this stage.
1998 ('muté
sur grain') - browning colour, nice pecan and caramel notes turning into richer
pruney fruit tinged with Madeira-type complexity; wild mint edges mix with lush
sweetness v tannin dryness, plus oily pure fruit finish. €12.40 50cl
90-92
1932 - orangey brown, very interesting volatile
Madeira-type nose with toffee and orange peel edges; the 16.6% alcohol seems
more obvious here, but this is delicious with its savoury v sweet, old yet
youthful class. €190 50cl 95+
1880 - wow: liquid treacle, dark and thick; very volatile with coconut
notes, incredibly rich molasses and caramelised raisins with dense lush finish;
extraordinary stuff, seems pathetically futile to give it a score!
Tasted Feb 2007:
2003 Maury (17%) - enticing developing savoury leather notes on top of
spicy liquorice and prune, rich earthy chocolate palate with nice bite of
tannins and alcohol keeping check on the sweetness. Drinking now but plenty of
life in it yet. 90+
13 Route de Cucugnan, 66460
Maury.
Tel: 04 68 59 67 58, mobile 06 86 49 39 52, 04 68 59 02 11 (shop);
www.lacoumeduroy.com
Domaine Mas Crémat
Originally from Burgundy, Catherine Jeannin's beautiful
hillside Mas was established (and replanted) 17 years ago, complete with
charming old Catalan farmhouse buildings; and is found down a signposted,
vine-en closed
track between the
villages of Espira and Cases-de-Pène. You catch a glimpse of it while driving
along the main road; but you have to carry on towards Espira, turn left at the
roundabout up a hill and then left off this road. Now that her son and daughters
have returned after various studies and work experience to help run the estate,
Catherine wants to develop the wine tourism side by offering accommodation and
lunches to small groups of wine lovers, as well as regular events such as their
'open day' in June. Watch this space...
In addition to all the usual red suspects, they have 10 ha/25 acres of white
varieties including the less common Vermentino and Carignan blanc, plus both
Muscats. "I'd like to increase plantings of red," she explained, implying
she'll remove some of these white grape vines. "But it's important to have a
good mix of vins de pays and dearer wines. We find people buy either the
cheapest or the dearest, not so much the mid-price ones." Their 'entry level'
red is indeed
great value (see below) and
sensibly Catherine believes that "we don't want to
price our top wines too high." Tried and tested back in March 2007:
2005 Grenache
vieilles vignes,
vin de pays Côtes Catalanes white (70+
year-old Grenache blanc
& gris
14%) - subtle toasty notes mingle with
apricot, peach and floral tones; elegant soft mouth-feel, attractive but lacks a
bit of zing perhaps. €12
85+
2006 Tamarius red,
vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Syrah Grenache Carignan)
- delicious vibrant black cherry/currant fruit with light cedar tones, fresh and
easy palate with a touch of grip to finish. €4.30
85-87
2005
Côtes du Roussillon red (Grenache Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre)
- still quite fruity although savoury too
with rustic edges; more structured and firmer with nice backdrop of fruit, quite
elegant and long.
87-89
2003 Cuvée Bastien,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah
Grenache
Mourvèdre 14%)
- smoky and peppery showing lovely fruit with liquorice notes; concentrated and
firm v spicy and lush with very light chocolate oak coating, again good balance
grip and length.
90-92
Mas Crémat, 66600
Espira de l'Agly. Tel: 04 68 38 92 06,
www.mascremat.com,
mascremat@mascremat.com.
Domaine
Depeyre
Brigitte
Bile and Serge Depeyre set up shop just five years ago (2002: I
visited in April 07) and now command 12 ha/30 acres in two main
blocks overlooking
Cases
de Pène and Espira, and Vingrau.
Some of their
Mourvèdre
is 90 years old and there is still the odd Carignan vine here
that they believe to be “about 200!” That's what I
call old vines. All the plots that used to churn out fruit for
VDN wines have been, or are being, replanted with red varieties.
Brigitte told me: “we aren't interested in making sweet
wines but have added some Muscat to make dry white.” You'll
(have) notice(d) various points of view in this guide on the
'tyrant' Syrah versus Grenache, Carignan etc. and its place in
the Roussillon. While the region should arguably focus on the
latter grapes to distinguish itself from, say, the Languedoc;
there is some damn good Syrah produced in certain sites. Brigitte
certainly believes “Syrah is better suited than Grenache
here, and we've also planted more Mourvèdre.” Serge
and Brigitte are concentrating on exporting their wines –
and most of it to our red wine obsessed Belgian friends –
but you can buy the wines below in good local wine merchants in
e.g. Perpignan, Prades or Argeles. However, they have plans to do
up her father's old cellar into an on-site shop...
2005 Cuvée Depeyre
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50% Syrah
plus Grenache Carignan) - light chocolate and spice
tones, floral black cherry fruit on top; elegant tight palate, quite closed
(this was only bottled 2 months before I tasted it, so it should have opened up
a bit now) and fresh, chunky fruit and tannins yet finely textured. Could be
good. €8.50 87-89
2004
Cuvée
Ste-Colombe Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre)
- displaying more oak but has lovely juicy black fruits as well, elegant v
concentrated with the 14.5% alcohol well integrated; lusher fruit than above v
light choc oak on a tight, lively and solid framework. Sainte Colombe is sourced
from a 2 ha/5 acre parcel at higher altitude (200-300 metres/800 feet). €13.50
89-91
1 rue Pasteur, 66600
Cases de Pène.
Tel: 04 68 28 32 19, brigitte.bile@orange.fr.
 Clos des Fées
The
philosophy behind Hervé Bizeul's cult estate and wines is
refreshingly simple, upheld by a quiet-spoken man who claims to
have been “surprised by the world fame.” You'll find more
notes on three of his wines
here,
plus the wines below tasted in his cellar in April 2007 during
the Fenouillèdes
wine show. Hervé “didn't want to have a stand
and hog the limelight,” believing there are other exciting
discoveries in the Roussillon. Hervé, a restaurateur and
wine writer in previous lives (his blog is an interesting read)
said: “I'm very attached to the idea of a vigneron working
their terrain. AOC doesn't need to develop, we just need to aim
to make hand-crafted wines at a very high level.” He tries
to “search for and retain the fruit to make rich,
Mediterranean, flavoursome wines traditional to this area.”
First and foremost, Hervé thinks he “makes wine for
myself, then I work out how to manage the different plots and
varieties” according to that principle. The ideal is making
wines that can be drunk from “5 to 12 years old, except la
Petite Sibérie.” He sells about 40% of production in
France and spends a lot of time promoting Clos des Fées
around the world, where his wines have become very sought-after.
Hence those prices: easy to criticise although it's a whole
different argument, and who can knock someone who's earned such a
reputation?
2005
white (old
vine
Grenache
Blanc)
– pretty toasty nose gives way to a honeyed v mineral
personality, lightly oxidised creamy and nutty style finishing
with subtle freshness v weight too.
87
2005
Les Sorcières,
Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache
Carignan Syrah)
– sort of reduced on the nose showing pungent or herbal
black cherry fruit, a touch of chocolatey oak on the palate
backed up by ripe fruit, fresh bite and light tannins. It loses
that smell after a few minutes (Hervé adds CO2 for some
reason). €10
87
2004
Vieilles Vignes,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Carignan Syrah)
– quite savoury with liquorice notes, rich and aromatic;
fairly firm and tight framework offering power and concentration,
yet lively too on its good length. €25
90-92
2004
Le Clos des Fées de Hervé Bizeul,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages – rather a lot of coco
oak otherwise it's closed up; power and almost chalky texture, it
is long and firm v sweet fruit but just too oaky at the moment...
€50
2004
La Petite Sibérie,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (100%
Grenache,
technically not allowed for AOC but who cares) – the best
fruit sourced from a “mono-parcel,” as our man calls
it, presumably a 'cool' site. Again, it has plenty of smoky oak
but it's much richer with liquorice Grenache purity and very ripe
black cherry fruit; weighty 15%+ alcohol which doesn't really
shout out, surprisingly, with a lovely coating of sweet fruit and
coconut to finish. By the way, this wine would cost up to €200
a bottle, if you can find any.
92-94
2005
red blend
vat sample – obviously oaky but has lovely lush fruit too,
quite fine actually while commanding and with attractive
texture.
2005
Clos des Fées vat
sample – similarly, there's lots of coco oak although shows
attractive burst of fruit and the trademark power; finishes with
fine fresh tannins. Needs a few months at least to round out and
let that oak melt in more, which it carries better than the
2004.
1999
Clos des Fées – developing
leather and spice tones, red pepper notes too plus roasted
coffee, complex aromas; still quite firm with leather and nice
meaty side, long finish.
92-94
69
Rue Maréchal Joffre, 66600 (ominous postcode!)
Vingrau.
Tel: 04 68 29 40 00, info@closdesfees.com,
www.closdesfees.com
Domaine Fontanel
Laid-back Pierre and Marie-Claude Fontaneil (not a spelling mistake) have 25 ha
(62 acres) around Tautavel,
where their small yet soon-to-expand winery is found, and 10 ha (25 acres) in
the village commune of Maury. I like those traditional village cellars found on
a narrow residential street like any other, where you just walk in as if you
were going into a large garage. The domaine was set up in 1989, before that the
two families were cooperative growers. Their focus is red, mostly
Roussillon AOC wines, producing around 10,000
cases in total per year, 80% of which is exported particularly to Asia and the
Far East. In the UK, the wines are listed by Stone, Vine & Sun and Indigo Wine.
Tasted 5th Sept 2006:
2004 Côtes du Roussillon rouge (Grenache Syrah Carignan,
14%) - smoky black cherry with minty notes, elegant fruit despite fair
concentration and weight, tight fresh finish v dry coating of tannins.
87
2003 Tradition Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Syrah Carignan, 13.5%) - firm and a bit closed up, subtle ripe fruit
underneath; attractive tannin texture, needs 6-12 months to express itself as
it's concentrated and structured. 89+
2004 Prieuré Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (Syrah Mourvèdre
Grenache) - elegant perfumed nose and black cherry fruit, good grip and
length. 89-91
1997
Rivesaltes Ambré (Grenache blanc
& gris, 16.5%) - appealing mix of aged toffee notes and mature cheese
complexity, finishing with fresh long bite. 88-90
2002 Maury (Grenache, 16%) - deliciously
concentrated spicy blackberry and liquorice fruit, nice grip bite and power on
the finish; not so sweet. 90-92
25
Avenue Jean Jaurès, 66720
Tautavel (cellar
address, from April to October) or 37-39 Avenue du Docteur
Torreilles,
Estagel (shop
open all year round 10am to 7pm). Tel: 04 68 29 04 71, 04 68 29
45 21; domainefontanel@hotmail.com,
www.domainefontanel.com.
 Domaine Força Réal
The Henriquès
family's elevated hillside estate is accessed (and signposted)
off the road between Millas (behind the town over the river) and
Corneilla-la-Rivière; keep going up the track until you
find the elegant orange Mediterranean villa. A personal project
spanning over 15 years, Jean-Paul and now son Cyril have invested
a lot of energy and money into restoring vineyards (JP started
replanting in 1992), (re)building the house, a new underground
barrel cellar and tasting room cum visitor reception. The next
step is to offer chambres d'hôte when the villa has been
refitted. There are around 40 ha / 100 acres of vines in
production and 10 ha of olive trees (their extra virgin olive oil
is very tasty). Apart from the reds below I tasted in situ in May
2007, DFR produces quite fine Muscat de Rivesaltes and a
delicious barrel-matured 'Hors d'Age' style, which is great with
strongly flavoured cheeses or nut-based puddings. Most of their
wines are sold in export markets with the US and UK “really
beginning to take off,” I'm told (see their website for
distributors). More
Força
Réal wines
here.
2004
Mas de la Garrigue,
Côtes du Roussillon – nice ripe Grenache (it is
mostly) fruit layered with black cherry and rustic peppery notes;
attractive tight fresh palate, dry grip v fruity softness. €5
87
2005
Domaine de
Força
Réal,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (14.5%) – more closed up
with hints of chocolatey wood plumped up with lush fruit, dry
tannins on its tight framework, power yet elegant too; not
showing that much at the moment, it needs a few months to a year
to express itself. €10
89+
2003
Les Hauts de Força Réal,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (80%
Syrah +
Mourvèdre
Grenache)
– smoky blackberry fruit with subtle coco oak, maturing
rustic liquorice edges; dry structured finish v Black Forest
gateau sweetness, elegant length and style. €15-€20
90-92
Mas
de la Garrigue, 66170
Millas.
Tel: 04 68 85 06 07,
www.forcareal.com.
Domaine de la Fou
Hélène
and Christian Meunier are the third generation to farm their 11
ha / 28 acre wine estate lying at 260m (850 feet) altitude on the
slopes around St-Paul, in the wilder-still northwestern corner of
Roussillon Villages country. These four wines were tasted at the
Fenouillèdes
wine show in April 2007:
2006
L'Impossible
Muscat sec,
vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes – fresh and crisp
with grape aromas and flavours, fuller creamier palate; nice
style. €7
87
2006
white barrique-fermented (barrel
sample:
Grenache
Gris Macabeu Chardonnay)
– lightly toasty with milky mouth-feel, exotic apricot
fruit, full and rounded.
87
2004
La Clue,
vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (Carignan
Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre)
– tobacco and violet tones on top of black cherry and smoky
liquorice, nice fruit v grip and fresh finish. €7
87-89
2004
Ricochet,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan
Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre)
– similar profile to above although lusher, tobacco edges
on a sweet v savoury palate, attractive weight and power. €9
89
Chemin
de Bayra (cellar), tasting/shop: 28 Avenue du 16 Août 1944,
66220
Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet.
Tel/fax: 04 68 59 11 62, mobile: 06 12 54 94 07,
domainedelafou@wanadoo.fr
Domaine
Gardiès
Jean
Gardiès has come a long way since his first vintage in 1993. The newly built (I
visited in April 2007), elegant wooden winery looks stunning lost in the
beautiful wild vine-lands above Espira de l'Agly. In common with several leading
estates,
Gardiès' attention has turned more recently towards planting white varieties, as
he believes there's a promising future for high quality Roussillon white wines
(I tend to agree by and large). Having said that, most of the estate's 30-35 ha
(75 acres) are planted with all the region's usual red suspects (see notes
below), and Jean has had particular success with Mourvèdre in this neck of the
woods.
He's also mastered how to make really nice dry Muscat - not necessarily a given
unless you grow it differently and vinify carefully - and still produces a fair
bit of Rivesaltes VDN styles. "These sweet wines are a difficult sell outside of
France, which is a pity as it's a unique tradition to the Roussillon." Jean's
focus is export, although is happy to meet wine enthusiasts at the winery by
appointment, increasingly finding "a knock-on effect: the more Roussillon wines
there are out there, the greater the demand. But it's still hard persuading
distributors to take on our wines." The domaine is in the process of organic
certification, but Jean isn't especially interested in using this as the main
thrust. "The wine still has to be good... just like whether it's appellation or
vin de pays, you shouldn't need it on the bottle to sell it." Indeed, the proof
is in the pudding as that quaintly bizarre English expression has it.
2006 Mas Las Cabes Muscat sec - nice Muscat
freshness and grapey style, zingy mineral notes v creamier mouth-feel (he leaves
it on its yeast-lees for 5 months); light elegant length v fatter fruit.
87
2005 Les
Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Roussillon blanc (60% 70+ year old
Grenache Blanc 35% Grenache Gris 5% Macabeu)
- lovely apricot and white peach fruit with toasty edges, creamy v fruity; oak
well done as it has freshness too. 88
2005 Les Millères Côtes du Roussillon Villages (40 Grenache
35 Syrah 20 Carignan
5 young Mourvèdre) - attractive ripe black cherry
and liquorice fruit with herbal edges, soft and round v fresh dry bite.
87-89
2005
Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (70%
60-80 year old Grenache and Carignan,
20 Syrah 10 Mourvèdre)
- a bit more oak but not much, firmer with more bite v sweetness of fruit,
closes up a bit on the finish; elegant, again subtle oak.
89-91
2005
La Torre Côtes du Roussillon Villages (70% Mourvèdre
20 Grenache 10 Carignan)
- youthful fruit with quite spicy coco oak up-front, concentrated and powerful;
firm and less open on the finish with underlying ripe rounded texture.
90
2005 Les Falaises Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (45% Syrah
40 Grenache
15 Carignan) - more perfumed and floral, quite a
bit of chocolate oak but very concentrated sweet fruit underneath; powerful with
coating of solid tannins, big finish. Needs 6-12 months to harmonize.
90-92
2005 Flor Muscat de Rivesaltes - still
lively with floral honey, apricot notes and orange peel tang; nice bite v
sweetness, the alcohol is well integrated. 87-89
1995 Rivesaltes Ambré (95% 70+ year old
Grenache Blanc 5% Muscat) - gorgeous toasted
hazelnut and toffee nose, concentrated and complex coffee and pecan flavours;
the sweetness melts into its tangy aged fruit, lovely length and style.
90-92
Chemin de Montpins, 66600 Espira de l'Agly. Tel: 04 68 64 61 16,
gardies.jean@wanadoo.fr
 Domaine Gauby
An intimate party of us was treated to a delicious, and
ample, dinner at La Galinette, one of Perpignan's top restaurants, on 5th
September 2006, where Gérard Gauby and his son Lionel (who's gradually taking
over more of the day to day vineyard and winery work) talked about their wines
and values (text updated following a visit in March 2007). Gérard said the decisive moment for going organic (1996), then fully
biodynamic
in 2001,
came "when I found a hundred dead birds in the vineyard after disinfecting the
soil (I'm afraid growers do sometimes do this, which doesn't of course only kill off
the bad bugs etc.)...we couldn't carry on like that anymore. Our production
costs are now huge but the philosophy's more important." They have seven
employees plus the family and up to 50 people at vintage time. Fortunately for
him, he's now built up enough of a reputation to charge ample prices to off-set
those costs. The grapes for the following
white wines are grown at 450-600 metres (+1500 feet) and retain fresh
acidity:
2004 Vieilles Vignes blanc, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (40% Macabeu
30% Grenache Blanc 15%
Chardonnay 10% Grenache Gris 5%
Carignan Blanc) - lovely crispness and intensity with 'real cider' flavours,
turns creamier and more honeyed than le Soula (below) with very light toast,
concentrated v crisp finish. 90
2004 Le Soula blanc, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - very intense mineral
notes and aromatic appley flavours, crisp and fresh v fatter 'sweeter' finish.
87+
Domaine Gauby now comes to 48 hectares (120 acres, 30-odd ha of vines) including trees and wild
vegetation, which are an integral part of the diverse terrain, in the rocky hills
around the village of Calce. On average they make 80-100,000 bottles per year so
obviously yields are small: "I'd like to average 20 hl/ha (a bit more than 1 ton
per acre) but we often get less from some parcels," Gérard claims. He believes that Carignan,
Grenache and Mourvèdre are "the great varieties of the future... but I don't
really care about the grape: I want real wine from real terroir." The irony of
biodynamic viticulture is that "by seeking simplicity it gets more complicated."
However, in this globalized world, "we don't want to do a McDonald's!"
he quipped. To give just one example of the importance of preserving
biodiversity, after the fruit passes over the sorting table, any
insects that fall through are returned to the vineyard to restore a good mix of
natural predators. Lucky bugs.
2002 Coume Gineste blanc (50% Grenache Blanc
50% Grenache Gris) - smoky toasted apples on the nose with crisp
length and lovely acidity, very nice with the tuna dish.
2003 Le Soula rouge - earthy cassis notes, firm tannins yet elegance too,
black cherry finish and again showing attractive freshness (particularly for
heatwave 2003).
2003 Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Roussillon Villages (40% very old
Carignan
35%
Grenache
10%
Syrah 15%
Mourvèdre)
- complex earthy
black cherry and rhubarb tones, deliciously sniffable; lovely subtle richness
then tight and fresh finish (the Gauby hallmark), light bite of tannins with
power yet refined length. 90+
2003 Muntada Côtes du Roussillon Villages (40% very old
Carignan
30%
Grenache
20%
Syrah 10%
Mourvèdre) - a bit stinky, not sure what
that is (sulphide notes?) but it dissipates with aeration revealing more morello/blackcurrant;
very concentrated with dry grip yet has textured smoky fruit and as usual
intense bite and length. 92+
The full range is imported into the UK by Richards Walford, who's the
joint-owner of Domaine Soula.
March 2007: I interviewed Gérard in his 4x4 while touring around the
entire, bumpy and scenic estate. Following on from what he said above, he's actually removing
some Syrah, Muscat and "all early ripening varieties," which are less
suitable to the microclimate, terrain and their way of thinking. He believes
leading Roussillon growers should concentrate on wines based on 'grand cru'
sites, as the opportunity has been missed to create meaningful sub-zones on an
official level, thanks to local politics: "I make Côtes du Roussillon Villages
Gauby!" But he also declared a fondness for the vin de pays name 'Côtes Catalanes'
(or better still just Catalan) and, like many, was annoyed that the VDP des
Fenouilledes was done away with, for silly bureaucratic reasons. Finally, Gérard's
reaction to the current 'viticulture crisis': "the real crisis is a lack of wine
culture. We didn't use to make wines that were refreshing to drink. People had a
pastis or whatever as an aperitif instead."
2005
vieilles vignes blanc, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (40% Macabeu
30% Grenache Blanc 15%
Chardonnay 10% Grenache Gris 5%
Carignan Blanc) - closed up at first, slowly revealing floral honeyed
fruit, light toast and rounded full palate v drinkable, lively and
stylish finish.
2003 Muntada Côtes du Roussillon Villages - open for 24 hours: rich smoky
and complex with liquorice, dried black cherries and herbs plus light leather;
sumptuous, lightly rustic yet elegant palate with lingering interesting
flavours, firm integrated tannins and balanced length.
92-94
La Muntada, 66600 Calce. Tel: 04.68.64.35.19,
info@domainegauby.fr;
www.domainegauby.fr
Domaine
Hylari
Jean-Michel
and Isabelle Hylari are based in the village of Estagel, where
the micro-winemaking takes place in a cosy backstreet cellar, and
have another barrel cellar in nearby Tautavel (both northwest of
Perpignan). They concentrate on making small quantities of
distinctive reds, dry whites and complex fortified Rivesaltes:
cask-aged red Tuilé & 'white' Ambré styles as
well as youthful Muscat. Wines below sampled at the Fenouillèdes
wine show in April 2007, and you'll find more by clicking
here or
here with my notes on previous vintages.
2005
Muscat sec
– still fresh
and mineral, ripe fruity palate v zingy elegant and long.
85-87
2004
Fûts de Chêne,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah
Grenache Mourvèdre)
– ripe smoky plum and liquorice fruit with a light touch of
oak, rounded and full with lively bite of tannins and acidity on
its attractive length.
90-92
2004
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah
Grenache Mourvèdre)
– similar ripe smoky plum and black cherry fruit, nice
juicy texture v dry grip and liquorice fruit, elegant too.
88-90
12
Rue Urbain Paret, 66310
Estagel.
Tel: 04 68 29 01 21, mobile: 06 70 48 39 79;
isabelle.hylari@wanadoo.fr
 Domaine Lafage
Eliane
and Jean-Marc Lafage took over this dual-location estate fairly
recently (I visited and tasted the wines below in October 2006):
they have vineyards near Canet overlooking the sea, where a
cellar-cum-shop has been renovated next to the winery; and in
central Roussillon towards the mountains in the area called Les
Aspres. These two very different terroirs,
to use the terrifying T word, allow them to fashion good examples
of all the regional styles; from dry and sweet whites - including
one of the best, award-winning Chardonnays I've tried from round
this way - a storming gourmet rosé, intricate reds such as
their Cuvée Léa to traditional Vins
Doux Naturels.
2007 update: Waitrose (upmarket UK
supermarket chain) listed two of Lafage's red and white
Roussillon wines for their April/May 'showcase'; and I heard
rumours that they'd bought
Château
Saint Roch in Maury (see page 2), but admittedly I wasn't able to
go along to a couple of recent events they put on so haven't
asked them what the latest is! Watch this space...
2005 Côté
Chardonnay - exotic honeyed nose (maybe some
botrytis in there?), full & creamy but not oaky,
quite rich fruit v fresh mineral intensity and very light coconut spice.
89-91
2005 Centenaire Côtes du Roussillon
blanc (mostly Grenache Blanc) - quite complex
herbal honey and wild flower notes, nice freshness v weight and subtle spicy
wood. 87
2005
Côté
Muscat sec - zippy and gummy, elegant grape and clementine flavours, nice
length and bite.
87
2005 Parfum de Vignes Côtes du Roussillon rosé
- delicious floral red fruit cocktail, quite concentrated and chunky with fine
dry finish bathed in aromatic fruit. 89-91
2003
Côté
Grenache noir (14.5%) - a bit cold and oxidised (been open for
a few days); however, it shows attractive liquorice and leather tones, powerful
mouth-feel yet not out of kilter thanks to some freshness and dry grip.
2003
Cuvée Léa, Côtes du Roussillon
les Aspres (Grenache
Syrah Carignan) -
interesting mixture of delicate smokiness and coconut v earthy yet ripe black
fruits; a touch of oak notes and texture balanced by sufficient fruit, power and
panache. 89-91
2005 Grain de Vignes Muscat de Rivesaltes - lovely fresh fruit, once
again offering zesty bite v extract, not so sweet in the end.
87-89
2003 Rimage Rivesaltes Tuilé (Grenache)
- quite closed up to start, meaty v black fruit undertones, tight and
concentrated with light oak texture v depth of sweet fruit; needs a few years to
mellow. 90-92
1998 Vintage Rivesaltes (Grenache)
- appealing savoury maturity v fig and raisin richness, quite chunky tannins v
meaty fruit and sugar; drinking nicely now. 88-90
Mas Miraflors, Route de Canet, 66000
Perpignan.
Tel: 04 68 80 35 82,
contact@domaine-lafage.com,
www.domaine-lafage.com
Domaine Laguerre
Eric
Laguerre makes organic wines with altitude... bad joke aside,
St-Martin is indeed a fairly elevated spot and hotbed of planting
activity (e.g. Gauby/Soula, who Eric works in partnership with)
due to its potential as the place to grow and make 'cooler
climate' wine styles in this otherwise rather warm area (summer
at least, in winter it's one of the coldest). I believe wine
writer and biodynamic specialist Monty Waldin has also been
spending a lot of time around here tending vines and making a
movie... more info on that when I next speak to him! Wines below sampled at the Fenouillèdes
wine show in April 2007.
2005
Le 20 Côtes
du Roussillon blanc
(Macabeu
Marsanne Roussanne Rolle)
– lightly honeyed, fresh and floral with subtle milky
undertones; nice fruit on its more mineral finish.
87
2005
Le 20
Côtes du Roussillon rouge
(50%
Syrah
+
Grenache Carignan)
– peppery and rustic with black cherry tones, attractive
lively fruit then light grip and quite fine length.
87-89
2004
Le Ciste rouge vin
de pays Côtes Catalanes (Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache Carignan)
– a touch reduced on the nose, moves on to lively
blackcurrant styling with quite firm dry tannins, understated
weight and finish.
87-89
2005
Le Ciste blanc
vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Marsanne
Roussanne Macabeu Grenache Blanc Rolle)
– quite exotic with peach and apricot aromas, creamy with
very light toasty edges, weighty finish v freshness too.
89
Les
Planels, 66220
Saint-Martin
de Fenouillet.
Tel: 04 68 59 26 92, mobile: 06 15 35 78 92;
domaine.laguerre@free.fr
Mas de Lavail
Nicolas, Marie Laure and Jean Batlle have 50 ha (124 acres) around their handsome
tree-shaded farmhouse off the main road near Maury - which is less common in this
neck of the woods, growers around here often owning smaller parcels in a few
different sites - plus another 25 or so towards Tautavel. The family has a long
grape growing history but only bought the Mas in 1999, which is still being
renovated. They've created a stylish cosy lounge reception area, adjoining a
small barrel cellar, and a gîte, which during the vintage houses a merry band of
guitar playing, multiple dog owning new-age-travelling pickers. Some thirty people
are taken on for one month as the whole estate is hand-harvested and sorted. Lavail produces about 100,000 bottles and sells off the rest in bulk. Wines
below tasted on 5/9/06 - see
Fenouillèdes wine fair
for more.
Cuvée le Sud blanc, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Grenache Blanc
& Gris, 14%) - nice mealy tones with subtle oak adding roundness and
creaminess; fresher 'celery' bite v ripe fruit to finish.
87+
2004 Tradition Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan Syrah Grenache)
- lovely herbal black cherry and olive notes, quite rich and pure with fine
tight grip and length. 89+
2003 La Désirade Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan Syrah Grenache)
- darker richer black cherry with blackberry spice, developing liquorice resin
and garrigue notes; powerful (15%) mouthfeel with
chocolate textured tannins and tight length, lingering 'sweet v savoury' fruit
too. 92+
2003 Cuvée Ego, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (100% Grenache)
- delicious pure ripe Grenache nose, rounded and lush v dry palate, powerful
with lingering fruit; somehow still fairly elegant despite the 'wow' factor.
94?
2004 Muscat de Rivesaltes - intense grape
orange peel and lychee flavours, fresh acidity v alcohol (usually 15%+) but
still a bit too sweet (110 grams per litre residual sugar) despite this and good
extract.
Maury blanc (Grenache Blanc) - light choco
toast aromas and texture, not so aged in style and a bit fruity-sweet bland
against only light bite. Not so attractive on its own, but Marie Laure said it's
good with a dish like scallops in Noilly Prat sauce!
2004 Maury Expression 'Vintage' (100% Grenache,
16%) - black cherry and choco with savoury gravy notes, lightly oxidised edges
yet lovely fruit and coating of dry tannins that lend a fresher, tight finish
offsetting the rich sweetness (80g/l RS). Yum. 92-94
To buy these wines in the UK, contact
Leon Stolarski Fine Wines.
Update
07: the
whole range is now distributed by Domaine Cazes' merchant
company, headed up by namesake nephew Lionel Lavail.
18
Rue Henri Barbusse, 66460
Maury.
Tel:
04 68 59 15 22,
Fax:
04 68 29 08 95;
masdelavail@wanadoo.fr,
www.cazes-rivesaltes.com
Page
2: M to Z |
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Other Roussillon
/ Catalan stuff:
Wines of the moment
Fenouillèdes wine fair
Finding Fenouillèdes
country
Vinisud
Millésime Bio
Mini-profiles
2005:
PlanèresHylari
Dom
Mas Blanc
Cave
Terrats
Fruité Catalan
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