Winery snapshots:
Roussillon-French Catalonia
Page 2: M to Z

Richard who?   advertise on this site   email
wine words   news   back home
 

Advertise here!
Votre pub ici!

Advertise here!
Votre pub ici!


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 1: A to L.

Vignobles Bernard Magrez
Winery & vineyard mogul Magrez owns or is a partner (with larger than life actor Gérard Dépardieu in the Languedoc) in 35 vineyards around the world, including this relatively recent foothold in the Roussillon (I visited in May 2007). He bought and tastefully refurbished (despite his gigantic signature across the front) the old co-op cellar in the sleepy village of Montner, located between Estagel and Millas, across the road from the worth-checking-out Auberge du Cellier restaurant/chambres d'hôte. Their first vintage was 2002, when they only had eight ha / 20 acres to play with; they now have 43 ha planted with mostly red varieties (as you might expect in ascending order: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre) and five ha of white grapes (Muscat à petits grains, Macabeu and Grenache Blanc). “We acquired producing vineyards and grafted most of the white varieties over to Syrah,” Jean-Marc Raynal (Magrez's production director in southern France and Spain) explained. Making VDN sweet wines doesn't appeal, as it's “not group policy,” and reds are clearly their focus, although Jean-Marc believes in the potential for interesting dry white blends, like many other leading estate owners.
“Bernard Magrez is very attached to the Languedoc and Roussillon,” he added, “the wines fit in with his global range... And Roussillon perhaps has a better quality image than the Languedoc (which is an unusual point of view, often the other way round except for those in the know!), it has very different terroirs and varieties.” Nevertheless, they decided to take a clearer simpler approach by dropping the 'Villages AOC' and opting to label merely as Côtes du Roussillon, plus the 'Sud de France/South of France' generic term (which you'll be seeing more of) that features on their whole Languedoc and Roussillon range. I guess it also helps to have the governor's name on the label, as well as the backing of his distribution network. The BM Group is dabbling in various wine tourism ventures in Bordeaux but not in the Roussillon for the moment (shame), although they won't turn you away if you make an appointment!
2006 white (fermented in 'demi-muids', 400-600 litre capacity barrels) – lightly toasty v exotic apricot and honey notes, creamy yeasty mouth-feel showing weight and crisp length. Nice wine.
87-89
2004 'Si mon père savait', Côtes du Roussillon red (14.5%) - 'If my father knew': lovely pure fragrant black cherry and liquorice fruit, peppery and rustic undertones with vibrant blackcurrant edges; juicy fruit layered with background coco and choc oak, well balanced with tight fresh grip. Again nice style.
87-89
2004 'La Passion d'une vie' (15%) - richer colour and aromas with white pepper tones, similar fruit profile to above but more intense liquorice and berry notes; delicious palate of fruit, spice and a finer silky texture; power v elegance (despite high alcohol), juicy fruit v finesse, good length.
90-92
Grande Rue, 66720
Montner. Tel: 04 68 80 24 81, www.bernard-magrez.com

Domaine de MajasDomaine de Majas
Agnès and Alain Carrère's 20 ha (50 acre) property nestles in the rugged countryside around the blink-and-miss-it village of Caudiès; the most far-flung north-western corner of Roussillon vineland, before crossing into green hills and sliced gorges of neighbouring Aude country. With certain vineyard parcels at 350 metres altitude (1000+ feet) the microclimate is cooler here, hence why they have to wait until the end of September to pick the best Syrah plots and haven't so far risked temperamental Mourvèdre. It also means drought (the soil's deep too) and vine heat-stress are less common, increasingly problematic for growers in the south of France. By the way, they have a few Alicante and Morrastel (=Graciano) vines in addition to the usual suspects.
The Carrère's make half appellation wines and half vin de pays from Cabernet, Chardy and Merlot (stifle that yawn please, the wines are pretty decent: see below), good cash-cows especially in big bag-in-box. They bought and refitted their old cellar in 1992, the year the domaine was established. "It's a lot of work for two people," Alain said philosophically, "in the long term we hope we'll earn a good living." UK stockists are Terroir Languedoc and Easy Wine / Wine of Course (north London).
Tasted 4th Sept 2006:
2005 Chardonnay cuvée Alexandra - nice gentle peachy fruit with fresh aromas, light acidity v elegant juicy mouth-feel. €5 80+
2005 Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Syrah Grenache) - appealing subdued aromatic red fruits, lighter and more refreshing than some. €4 83-85
2005 Merlot cuvée Lucie - attractive fragrant plum and light red pepper notes, meaty v 'sweet' v tangy finish. €3.90 85
2004 Cabernet - Merlot Clos la Grave - nice cassis and liquorice flavours, quite full in the mouth turning tighter and fresher on the finish, firm v fruity. €5 85-87
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée Gaëtan - upfront black cherry fruit, fairly tight and tangy on the palate though showing some richness v firm tannins; should round out a little in bottle. €5 87
2003 les Hauts de Majas Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - scented vanilla and coconut, quite full mouth-feel with riper black fruit profile, again tight and fresh finish (especially for 2003) with attractive texture; personally, just a bit too much oak to hit 90 points. €8 87-89
Tasted July 2007
2006 Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Syrah Grenache 12.5%) - attractive enough aromatic redcurrant and strawberry fruit, quite light and refreshing; keep it cold as it gets a bit boring when it warms up. Usually €3.50, Auchan did a bargain buy 6 for the price of 4 promo (= €2.50). 83
21 Rue de la Bartasse, 66220 Caudi
ès-de-Fenouillèdes. Tel: 04 68 59 94 41, mobile 06 21 61 38 74; domainedemajas@wanadoo.fr

www.chateau-mosse.comChâteau Mossé
Jacques Mossé has trimmed his picturesque estate to around 50 ha (125 acres) having ripped up "the less good parcels," and sells off extra wine "not considered appellation standard." The vineyards climb gently up behind the twee village of Ste-Colombe, neighbouring Thuir, and downhill towards Terrats. He makes both good traditional Roussillon styles, including aged 'vins doux naturels' (sweet fortified wines), and more 'contemporary' barrique influenced reds. Wines below tasted 31/1/06 - see Previous Wines of the Moment for more Mossé (dry Muscat and rosé).
2003 Côtes du Roussillon tradition (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan) - nice maturing nose, sweet and perfumed; the palate's still firmly textured, rounded out by quite concentrated fruit. €5 85+
2003 Temporis (80% Syrah aged in barriques) - spicy coconut oak aromas set the scene for lightly choco texture, good depth of fruit too; more supple than the tradition yet still structured and long. 87-89
2003 Le Carignan - appealing rustic ripe cherry aromas, lovely depth of 'sweet' fruit then firmer and more powerful on the finish. 90+
Tasted July 2006:
2005 Le Rosé, Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - nice chunky oily textured style, less perfumed than some but more serious on the palate; drink this with an anchovy salad. €5 85-87
Tasted summer 2007:
2006 Le Rosé, Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - similar to the 05 but a little tighter fresher and more refined even. Still a foodie rosé though. 87
Domaine Mossé, 66300
Sainte-Colombe de la Commanderie. Tel: Tel 04 68 53 08 89, fax 04 68 53 35 13; chateau.mosse@worldonline.fr, www.chateau-mosse.com.

Franck Gaulard's mule ploughing from closdelorigine.free.frClos de l'Origine
New age Marc Barriot, who's working towards biodynamic certification, is a pleasure to talk to, always buzzing with ideas and opinions, which he doesn't hold back on! Click here for previous notes on his wines, and here's a little philosophical snippet translated from his website: "As wine should be and remain a living product, I don't aim to make perfect boring wines..." Way to go, Marc, as our transatlantic friends might say. As you'll see from the picture (right), he does sometimes use a mule to get rid of unwanted weeds and churn the soil on his vineyards' trickiest slopes. Marc has disparate parcels totalling 5 ha (12.5 acres) around Maury and in Calce, Estagel and Montner; so he must clock up quite a bit of kilometreage knowing how much time he spends in the vineyard. He's also experimenting with low or no-sulphur winemaking and keeping things as natural as possible; a bit of a cliché, I know, but in his case it seems genuine. He's also something of a Greenpeace-type when it comes to environmental issues, local or global. Marc's experimented with a variety of arty and/or humorous labels; the current ones feature portraits of 'the big guy himself'. I tasted these wines at the Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007:
2005 L'Original blanc, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (
Macabeu Muscat à petits grains) – attractive juicy apple fruit with intense mineral palate, crisp v concentrated. 85-87
2005 Soif de Plaisirs, Côtes du Roussillon red (60%
Carignan, Grenache Syrah) – nice ripe black cherry and liquorice intensity tinged with a touch of VA complexity; quite concentrated and rich with subtle grip and length. 87-89
2004 Clos de l'Origine, Côtes du Roussillon red – pure aromas with more intense blackcurrant/cherry notes, again showing that hallmark intensity; subtle concentration with appealing fresh bite and length wrapped in liquorice fruit.
90
1 Route de Lesquerde, 66460 Maury. Tel: 04 68 53 10 38, mobile 06 75 03 71 71; closdelorigine@gmail.com, closdelorigine.free.fr

From www.clotdeloum.comClot de l'Oum
Eric Monné and Lèia Obara are making some stylish wines sourced from the exposed, elevated vineyards around wild Bélesta country; a stunning spot for vineyard walks as well as a bit of tasting, of course (there are a few other great estates around here, such as Ch. Caladroy: see page 1). Eric very neatly, and bluntly, summed up the Roussillon's strengths and weaknesses thus: "Varied terroirs, dream landscapes, low land prices, ideal micro-climate at altitude and a new wave of talented growers often from elsewhere." On the other hand: "Building up its image, promises not kept (hinting at the powers that be), sometimes an endemic lack of sincerity (go for it), regulatory bodies favouring one wine style and production method, mafia, lack of fine wine tradition..."
Clot de l'Oum comprises 15 shrinking hectares (37 acres) planted with the region's 'big four' red varieties plus a few white vines too (they make about 10% dry white wine). Over half their production is sold outside France and the rest at the cellar door or to independent wine merchants, locally and nationally. Bottle prices are typically €12, €17 and €25 respectively (see red 'hierarchy' below). Eric also believes the Roussillon authorities and growers should develop more 'cru' sub-zones, as long as "we're much more demanding on quality and less conservative (meaning in terms of varieties, yield, authorised methods etc.)." As for organic viticulture, "it's the only way forward and not just in the Roussillon..." Hear hear! These four wines were sampled at the Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007:
2005 La Compagnie des Papillons
blanc – lightly toasty undertones on a mostly appley & juicy nose and palate, elegant and undemanding finish. 85
2004 La Compagnie des Papillons, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (mostly 50+ year-old
Grenache and Carignan) – perfumed violet and cherry with leather and blackberry tones; chunky v elegant and soft mouth-feel, subtle concentration and length with lightly dry bite and bitter twist. 87-89
2004 Saint Bart vieilles vignes (
Syrah 'Grenache Pelut' Carignan) - less aromatic but more concentrated and weighty, again has that lovely floral dark cherry fruit with liquorice and lighter leather notes; nice coating of fruit and ripe tannins with a touch of fresh acidity as well. 88-90
2003 Numéro Uno, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany (85%
Syrah Carignan) – rich smoky nose showing more oak although a lot of ripe fruit too; drier firmer grip balanced by attractive fruit coating, concentrated and long without being noticeably extracted. 90+
Domaine Clot de l'oum, 66720
Bélesta de la Frontière. Mobile: 06 60 57 69 62, fax 04 68 62 19 78; emonne@web.de, www.clotdeloum.com

'Anse de Paulilles' from domainedevalcros.comClos de Paulilles
Clos de Paulilles is a 90 hectare (220 acre) estate, the biggest in the area with most of the vines spread around the stone cellar; something you don't often see amid the intricate collage of vineyards running along the coast from Collioure to Cerbère. Vines and winery nestle close to the sea on a picturesque bay between Port Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer, and the outdoor restaurant is open throughout the summer. The Dauré family also offers al fresco dining at Château de Jau, their property near Cases de Pène tucked away in the northern Roussillon countryside. They own a Chilean winery as well called Viña las Niñas. Tasted Oct 2006:
2005 Collioure blanc (Grenache blanc & gris part fermented in barriques) - a bit cold for tasting (as opposed to nice temperature for quaffing) but shows floral notes, crisp mineral and aniseed palate with nutty rounded yet fresh finish. 85
2005 Collioure rosé (Grenache Syrah) - lots of vibrant red fruit aromas and flavours, quite chunky mouth-feel, textured and tasty v crisp and long. 87-89
2002 Collioure rouge (70+% Mourvèdre & Syrah) - smoky and ripe, nice grip v mature fruit, still could develop; good for a 2002. 89
2003 Banyuls 'Vintage' (= Rimage, see below. 100% Grenache) - lovely fresh black cherry fruit, solid dry tannins v sweet fruit, attractive style. 90
2002 Banyuls Cap Béar (aged in bonbonnes = glass demijohns. 100% Grenache) - more tawny in style with rich dried fruits, softer tannins and leather & raisin notes, long fine finish. 90-92
By the way, I also tried these
Château de Jau wines (a tasting measure of each I hasten to add) with the grilled lunch menu at their idyllic restaurant in September:
2005 Côtes du Roussillon blanc (Vermentino Roussanne Marsanne) - fresh and mineral with crisp citrus fruit v touches of yeast-lees. Served with fougasse aux olives, a Mediterranean flat bread.
2005 Le Jaja de Jau rosé, vin de pays d'Oc (Grenache Syrah) - fun quaffable fruit juice to go with toasted tomato bread & cured ham.
2002 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan Grenache) - mature rustic style, nice dried cherry fruit on an easy palate; drinking now, it won't get any better. Grilled lamb cutlets.
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - lovely intense lemon and grape aromas, refreshing bite v rich sweetness; works well with the Roquefort.
Clos de Paulilles, 66660 Port-Vendres (signposted off the main road between Port-Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer). Tel: 04 68 98 07 58, daure@wanadoo.fr.

Domaine Pechpeyrou
Bertrand de Guitaut, who started Pechpeyrou in that year-of-heat 2003, makes slightly eccentric wines in the micro-winery underneath his house above Banyuls town (you're not allowed to build a cellar on farm land i.e. next to the vineyard, stupid rules huh), using grapes sourced from his tiny 1.7 ha of vineyards (about 4 acres) to produce a grand total of 3000 bottles. One parcel is located on the way towards the Col de Banyuls, the thrilling little 'road' that climbs over the pass into Spain behind the town, which is 100m higher top to bottom and planted with mostly red Grenache and Carignan & Mourvèdre (see sample 1 below) plus a couple of white varieties (mainly Grenache gris and blanc), all mixed together. The other overlooks the sea and contains a bit of clay in the soil, planted with red Grenache (sample 2) and again a few whites.
Bertrand thinks: "it's the best way to go for Collioure and Banyuls if you have small plots, by naming each cuvée after the parcel, or its Catalan name, like a 'clos' in Burgundy" (where he's from originally). In addition, he follows organic growing methods, thanks largely to "300 windy days a year" making mildew and oidium less of a threat. In 2007 for example (I visited in the spring), "I only applied sulphur (treatments) twice." Anyway, I tasted the following wines in his not-quite-finished cellar down below and panoramic kitchen upstairs.
2006 red (vat sample 1, no sulphur dioxide) – lovely rich black fruits and olives, very lively and fresh yet quite lush and powerful with subtle grip and length; fine v fruity with attractive dry coating.
88-90
2006 red (cask sample 2, made in 5th-fill barriques and not de-stemmed) – less open than above but still showing richer dark chocolate tones suffused with very subtle spicy oak, firmly structured and dry v rounded mouth-feel with nice depth of fruit; finally closes up a bit on a solid peppery and fresh finish.
90-92
2006 white 1 (from both parcels, part barrel-fermented separately) – lovely fragrant honeysuckle and apricot with very light coconut spice, slightly oxidised nutty side too; powerful finish (16% alc!) with a little residual sugar remaining.
2006 white 2 (with first pressings from sea-facing parcel, just
GG & GB) – less exotic and spicier with again honeysuckle and peach tones, quite rich v citrus zest on the palate. 89+
2006 white 3 – ("bottom of the vat mixed with barrique wine") – spicy cider notes v fatter apricot and toasted nuts, attractive texture v freshness as well.
These three white samples will probably end up as one blend...
2005 Capa Casa, vin de table blanc (blend of vat and barrique wine, 15%) - lightly fizzy with orangey colour; nutty toffee fruit enhanced by honeysuckle and dried apricots, spritzy fresh bite v weighty mouth-feel, slightly yeasty tanginess in a Fino kind of way yet not oxidised. Odd but it works, try it with anchovies, marinated grilled peppers, goats cheese etc.
87-89
2005 Soula d'en Convartet, Collioure rouge (14.5%) - dark cherries and elderberries with chocolate tones, aromatic and fruity with liquorice richness v dry finish and solid structure; nice balance between fruit, tannins and freshness on the finish.
88-90
12 Les Hauts de Marisol, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer. Tel: 04 68 82 57 24, mobile: 06 70 76 22 76,
bertrand.evelyne@wanadoo.fr.

From www.domaine-de-la-perdrix.frDomaine de la Perdrix
A very brief snapshot of André and Virginie Gil's well-regarded 30 ha/75 acre estate, including four vintages of their extraordinary white Côtes du Roussillon called Cuvée J-S Pons: 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2000. These complex rich barrel-fermented whites do age well and show that the Roussillon isn't just red wine country, given the right varieties, vine age, site etc. (JS is made from 100% old-vine Grenache blanc rooted on rolling slopes at slight altitude). We tasted them over a casual summer barbecue in semi-darkness at Domaine Treloar, along with their rather tasty 2005 Carignan. So I do have a slight excuse for not delivering proper tasting notes and assessment. From memory, the 2006 showed lightness of touch in terms of creamy oak and quite fine acidity lending nice balance; the 05 was similar but fuller, the 04 again quite fine and beginning to show oily maturity; and the 2000 a real treat, all buttery and nutty in a quality white Burgundy kinda way. Call back when I've completed this profile; I really must pop down to their winery sooner rather than later...
7 Rue des Platanes, 66300
Trouillas. Tel: 04 68 53 12 74, contact@domaine-de-la-perdrix.fr; www.domaine-de-la-perdrix.fr

Maury vines from www.lesclosperdus.comLes Clos Perdus
This scattered collection of old-vine parcels is owned, and transformed into the wines below, by English farmer Hugo Stewart and Australian winemaker, former dancer Paul Old (now there's an interesting combination of talents), who have vineyards in Corbières and near Maury (hence why they're in this guide). They follow many biodynamic principles and tend the vines and their environment entirely by hand; well, using a few viticultural tools no doubt. The cellar is located in Peyriac-de-Mer in the Corbières region, not far from the sea obviously. Sampled at the Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007:
2005 Prioundo, Corbières rouge (
Carignan Grenache Mourvèdre) – quite tight and fresh, peppery v cherry fruit, a touch bitter perhaps but it displays nice elegance. 85-87
2005 Cuvée 31 (
Mourvèdre Carignan Grenache) – meaty black olive characters, more weight and power, again fresh bite and tangy grip but balanced. 87-89
2005 Mire la Mer
(Mourvèdre Carignan Grenache) – splash of vanilla oak with black fruit coating underneath, rounder finish yet still pretty extracted; quite attractive in the end but lacks soul (too much wood probably).
2005 L'Extreme, Vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (
Lledoner Pelut Syrah Mourvèdre) – lush palate v quite toasty oak, closes up on the finish; difficult to tell, could be good... come back to it in 6 to 12 months. 89+?
17 Rue du Marché, 11440
Peyriac-de-Mer. Mobile France: 06 70 08 00 65, UK tel: 01725 511119; hugo@lesclosperdus.com, www.lesclosperdus.com

Laetitia Piétri-Géraud from www.vins-du-roussillon.com/bacchusDomaine Piétri-Géraud
The feminine touch of mother and daughter Maguy and Laetitia Piétri-Géraud perhaps explains this small-scale winery's more elegant yet still structured Collioure reds, such as their Moulin de la Cortine sporting less Grenache, more Syrah and Mourvèdre. They also make a scarcer white Banyuls as well as very attractive examples of all the red styles: lush fruity Rimage to oxidised toffee-like Cuvée du Soleil, which is matured outdoors entirely in bonbonnes, glass demijohns. They have a tasting shop in bijou old town Collioure and cramped little cellar up the road a bit. I sampled the following wines in October 2006 - Laetitia also does a tasty rosé but didn't have any left to try!
2004 L'Ecume Collioure blanc (Grenache blanc & gris Vermentino, 13.5%) - oily nutty oxidising style, dry and mineral with very light oak texture; subtle intensity and freshness. €11 85
2004 Collioure red (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan) - nice perfumed ripe fruit, light bite and easier drink-now style. €9.50 85
2004 Le Moulin de la Cortine Collioure (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre) - peppery smokier fruit, tighter firmer palate, long and elegant; needs a bit of time to open up. €12 87-89
2004 Banyuls blanc - quite floral and honeyed v lightly oxidised almond notes, sweet v interesting fresh cut. €14.50 87
2004 Banyuls Rimage Mademoiselle (fortified on the fruit and skins before pressing) - lovely raspberry summer fruits, soft mouth-feel with dried fruit and light leather to finish; very fruity v nice bite of tannins/alcohol. €11 88
1998 Banyuls cuvée Joseph Géraud (aged for 7 years in large casks plus some in barriques outside) - delicious maturing dried fruits with rich fig and raisin notes, seems less sweet on the finish with those oxidised pecan nut tones and the alcohol lending freshness. €12 89+
2000 cuvée Méditerranée (5 years in newer barrels) - more aromatic with intense prune fruit, drier grip and more structured finish. €14 90+
2000 cuvée du Soleil - much more toffee-ish and roasted pecans, actually doesn't taste so oxidised, more Madeira like; long and sumptuous. €20 50cl 90-93
22 rue Pasteur,
66190 Collioure (shop, tasting and barrel store – their cramped cellar is on rue du Docteur Coste). Tel: 04 68 82 07 42, fax 04 68 98 02 58; domaine.pietri-geraud@wanadoo.fr.

Vignes "La coulée" from www.domaineolivierpithonOlivier Pithon
This much talked-about domaine is found on the high street in sleepy Calce: to find it, look for a clue outside on the pavement such as the odd winery hose or empty palette. Olivier started doing his own thing in 2001, having worked for Gérard Gauby among others, and thinks the Roussillon "has a big future in quality wines" thanks to its "rich variety of very different terroirs and old vines." He now has 15 ha / 37 acres spread out around the village and up towards the Col de la Dona (a lovely spot for a drive or walking), planted with about 60% red varieties. He also believes that "the best white wines in the Languedoc and Roussillon are from around here! The region has everything going for it, you can do lots of different styles – simple, big, elegant, less heavy... We just need to build up its image, new growers are arriving all the time hoping to follow in the footsteps of people like Gauby." And, like many, feels the Roussillon's main advantage over parts of the Languedoc is that "people kept their old vines and it's cooler (relatively) and windier here, favouring the production of finer wines."
Here are a few wines I tasted from vat in Olivier's garage cellar (in the sense of compact premises rather than home to overblown styles) back in March 2007:
2006 Cuvée Laïs white (
Macabeu Grenache blanc) – quite rich and toasty v perfumed and exotic apricot fruit, fresh and long with nice poise on the finish. 87-89
2006 La D18 (named after the road!) white (100%
Grenache blanc) – very different from above, more mineral and appley with lightly creamy and spicy edges, again fresh acidity to finish.
2006 red (mostly young
Carignan) – shows nice floral cherry fruit with light grip, peppery and fruity. 85+
2005 Saturne (
Grenache Carignan Syrah) – about to be bottled: complex wild flowers and ripe cherry fruit, liquorice palate with a tight, dry and fresh finish. 89-91
19 Route d'Estagel, 66600
Calce. Tel/fax: 04 68 38 50 21, pithon.olivier@wanadoo.fr, www.domaineolivierpithon.com

Catherine and Robert Pouderoux, L'Indépendant article on www.vinsduroussillon.comDomaine Pouderoux
Catherine and Robert Pouderoux coax a pretty impeccable range of Côtes du Roussillon Villages and Maury (all styles) from their 18 ha (45 acres), it has to be said. The vineyards are split between the village itself and Latour-de-France, about 10 km southeast, planted mostly with red grapes - just Grenache for AOC Maury, the latter plus Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre for CdRV - and one parcel of Grenache blanc. Robert took us out for a drive above Maury (take the Cucugnan road), where you get a great view of the whole appellation and very much beyond: buttressed between the Corbières proper and a coupled ridge. This particular spot "is too exposed" (it hit 35°C = 95F that 4th Sept day by the way!) according to Robert; his vineyard is over the other side, where there's some 100+ year old Grenache. Very dry, handsomely gnarled bush vines, difficult to believe they're still alive.
In the cellar, there are several different sizes and materials of vat to enable them to "vinify all parcels separately, even the same varieties." Hence the names on the labels reflect specific plots. The good news for readers of my vinous drivel is that Pouderoux is very export orientated - 70% and increasing - and their Maury 'mise tardive' (late bottled) is now listed in 100 Waitrose stores (£9.49, see note below); for other wines available in the UK contact Thorman Hunt, London SE11.
2004 Roc de Plane, white vin de pays (it has to be by law, as if anyone outside of France cares: AOC requires 3 grapes and this is 100% lovely Grenache blanc. Bureaucrats you know where you can stick your paperwork!) - barrel fermented and aged (12 months total) giving nice fatness set against floral peach and aniseed notes, celery and mineral freshness on the finish too. 87-89
2003 Latour de Grés Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50% Carignan plus old Mourvèdre and Syrah, 13.5%) - complex and delicious nose, liquorice & spicy garrigue notes turning into leather & chocolate; concentrated and weighty with very light spicy choco oak tones, firm and fresh length. 90-92
2003 Terre Brune Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50% Grenache plus old Mourvèdre and Syrah, 14%) - more perfumed than above showing black cherry & olive with earthy undertones, ripe juicy black fruit palate with depth and style, light coating of choco oak and textured tannins, 'sweet' v savoury profile; more powerful than above yet still has finesse and freshness. 92-94
2003 La Mouriane (Grenache Syrah, 14.5%) - barrel fermented with hand plunging (they take the top off): toasty dark fruit, quite oaky yet perfumed and fresh too, 'sweet' choco coating v very rich, tangy black olive savoury fruit; powerful finish, out of kilter at the moment and difficult to read, should be good though (only 200 cases made, €30 a bottle)!
2004 Maury - lovely cassis and black cherry aromas, concentrated rich mouth-feel v dry bite and freshness, very lively fruit v firm tannins and dark choco finish. 90-92
2002 Maury 'late bottled' (2 years in barrel) - perfumed cinnamon and jam notes developing intricate coffee edges, black cherry fruit seems sweeter and lighter than above, but this also has attractive coating and bite of tannins v alcohol; very nice now. 90+
Maury Hors d'Age (15 years' average age) - developing leather and dried fruit notes, soft sweet raspberry palate, seems fierier and more Port like; lingering coating of fruit and tannins. 90
Maury Grande Réserve (part aged in demijohns outside) - more developed still in an old tawny fashion, bitter choco v dried fruits, fatter and sweeter mouth-feel; attractive although less interesting style perhaps (in my opinion anyway).
2004 Muscat de Rivesaltes - all the 05 is already sold out, so this was an indicative sample: still retains charming freshness and citrus edges, sweet & concentrated yet nice cut adds elegance. 88
2 Rue Emile Zola, 66460 Maury. Tel: 04 68 57 22 02, fax: 04 68 57 11 63; 123pou@free.fr

'Labour d'une vigne par Vincent Legrand' from www.la-rectorie.comLa Préceptorie de Centernach
For your pure enjoyment, here are some tasting notes on a few well-shaped white and red, dry & sweet, wines from man of nature Vincent Legrand (pictured right). La Préceptorie covers some 40 ha/100 acres (that's a lot of ploughing) producing mostly Vin de Pays wines in all colours (5700 cases) followed by AOC Roussillon styles and 2000 cases of small bottles of luscious Maury. I tasted these in March 2007 along with Domaine de la Rectorie's range (see below, they work together) at their Argeles warehouse and office:
2006 Coume Marie Réserve l'Almandin, Côtes du Roussillon blanc (
Grenache Gris Macabeu 14.5%) - barrel sample: milky and juicy with fresh mineral length, the high alcohol and light wood toast aren't very noticeable and should integrate nicely. 87-89
2006 Les Terres Nouvelles Réserve l'Almandin "écrits de lumière", vin de pays Côtes Catalanes blanc (
Grenache Gris 13.5%) - barrel sample: delicious flowery white peach aromas with very light creamy tones, fresh bite v power and poise. 88-90
2005 Zoé vin de pays Côtes Catalanes rouge (
Syrah 13.5%) - nice juicy black cherry fruit with fragrant spicy edges, attractive full palate v light dry bite. 87-89
2005 Coume Marie, Côtes du Roussillon rouge (14.5%) - richer and more structured but still has fragrant black cherry and spice, quite brawny v tangy fresh fruit.
89-91
2005 Cuvée Aurélie Pereira de Abreu, Maury (
Grenache & Carignan 17.5%) - youthful aromas and flavours, shows enticing lush peppery blackberry fruit with lightly savoury leather notes; the alcohol's a bit obvious at the moment but it has attractive sweet texture, bite and finish. 90
Centernach near
Maury: 1 Route de Lansac, 66220 St-Arnac. Tel: 04 68 81 02 94 / 06 82 67 04 17, legrandvin@wanadoo.fr. See La Rectorie below for more web contacts.

Vins Pujol - Domaine La Rourède
Certified for organic viticulture five years ago to "protect the countryside and honour the true character of our terroir," Josiane and Jean Luc Pujol practise their way of life on 65 ha (160 acres) around the village of Fourques, south of Thuir. They're planting more Syrah and Mourvèdre while maintaining the old vine Grenache and Carignan, and also plan to produce organic vinegar and grape juice. Wines tasted Jan 06.
2003 Côtes du Roussillon tradition (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah & Carignan) - attractive ripe smoky leather and spice nose, quite rich and concentrated, displaying maturing fruit with earthy blackcurrant and mint notes on a soft long finish. €4 87+
2003 Cuvée La Montadella (Carignan & Mourvèdre) - leaner style needing time to open up and express itself, this has a touch of background oak on a quite austere palate with firm grip and powerful finish. €9.20 89+
2005 Muscat de Noel - lovely pure grape and citrus fruit, long and fresh in the mouth balancing out the sweetness. €8 87
2002 Rivesaltes Ambré - complex amontillado-like nose of coffee and pecan nuts, soft and sweet palate showing good balance and bite. €7 89
2002 Rivesaltes Grenat - more toffee and date than above with plenty of ripe blackberry and spice, dry grip of tannins v sweetness on the finish. €8 88
3 rue de la Rourède, 66300 Fourques. Tel: 04 68 38 84 44, fax 04 68 38 88 86; vins.pujol@wanadoo.fr.

Domaine Rancy
Brigitte and Jean-Hubert Verdaguer are real specialists in aged Rivesaltes ambré VDN wines (70% of production), although started making tasty Côtes du Roussillon reds six years ago; 11 out of 17 hectares are old vine Macabeu destined for this purpose. I was lucky enough to try their 1969? Rivesaltes, I think (from memory I didn't note the vintage down) when visiting La Coume Majou (his personal stock!), which was quite extraordinary. Brigitte and Jean-Hubert have plans to refit part of the cellar into a dining room to do lunches with wine & food matched menus. Despite the fact they sell 80% of their production at the cellar door, very little of this comes from tourists as they are a bit off the beaten track. So hopefully this kind of meal thing will entice people out into the countryside. Believe me, good wines aside, it's definitely worth the trip: the Latour area offers a beautiful backdrop for driving or better still walking. I sampled these wines at the Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007:
2005 Côtes du Roussillon red – nice juicy black cherry notes set the scene for a quite soft and forward palate v light grip and weight.
85
2005 Latour-de-France Côtes du Roussillon Villages (
Carignan Grenache Mourvèdre) – lightly volatile nose (vat sample) gives way to lovely rich blackberry fruit, lively fresh mouth-feel v power, dry grip and delicious length. 90-92
2003 Côtes du Roussillon Villages – attractive lush wild fruit cocktail with maturing leather tones, firm palate showing further developing savoury and rustic fruit with underlying 'sweetness' too.
88-90
2003 Latour-de-France Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50%
Mourvèdre plus Carignan Grenache) – similar profile to above although more intense, savoury black olive notes and less rustic; more grip and muscle on the finish. 89-91
2001 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (
Carignan Syrah Grenache) – their first non-fortified red: complex herbal wild fruit with maturing meaty edges, lush rustic yet still perfumed palate with dry bite and a bit of oomph; those tannins finish up a tad firm, however this is good and quite elegant actually. 89-91
11 Rue Jean Jaurès, 66720
Latour-de-France. Tel: 04 68 29 03 47 / 06 87 11 15 18, info@domaine-rancy.com, www.domaine-rancy.com

'Children' from www.la-rectorie.comDomaine de la Rectorie
The Parcé brothers Marc, Pierre and Thierry have built up this old family estate into something approaching cult, although they wouldn't like that nomenclature. Marc in particular, as president of the Collioure growers' association and a countrywide lobby group called Sève, is very committed to shaping the appellation's future and promoting it beyond the region. They've also gone into partnership with Vincent Legrand at La Préceptorie de Centernach near Maury (see above), having set up a sales & distribution company.
La Rectorie covers 27 ha/70 acres making mainly red Collioure, although over the last five years Banyuls production and sales have steadily increased. Before that, the Parcés almost gave up on VDNs because of appellation politics and the type of wines & quality that appeared to represent its name. Anyway
, it's worth clicking on the link below to their website: it's got some nice black and white pictures on it. Here are my notes on some of their sensuous Collioure & Banyuls wines tasted in March 2007:
2006 L'Argile Collioure
blanc (14.5%) - barrel sample: milky toasty edges to its lovely honeysuckle fruit, powerful mouthful, concentrated and big; a bit hot on the finish but very interesting style. 88-90
2006 Côté Mer Collioure
rosé (Grenache Carignan Counoise Syrah 14%) - very creamy and rich raspberry/redcurrant style, oily texture with a tart edge; nice fruity finish with fresh acidity and punchy alcohol. 87-89
2005 L'Oriental Collioure rouge (
Grenache based, 15%) - a little closed to start, violets and blackberry fruit develops, powerful yet has gentle fruit concentration; firm framework with long rather alcohol dominated finish, pity as it has lovely fruit/tannin layering, would've scored it higher. 89-91
2005 Côté Mer Collioure
rouge (14%) - more savoury v delicious pure fragrant and spicy black cherry fruit, better balance, length and style. 90-92
2005 Côté Montagne Collioure
rouge (14.5%) - more structured and backwards than above, concentration and power but also freshness and lively length. 90-92
2005 Cuvée Léon Parcé Banyuls (
Grenache 16.5%) - meaty and chocolatey with lively spicy black fruit combo, sexy coating and panache. 90-92
54 avenue du Puig del Mas, BP 35 66651
Banyuls sur mer. Tel: 04 68 88 13 45 / 06 82 67 04 10 (Pierre Parcé), vignesorientales@orange.fr/larectorie@wanadoo.fr, www.la-rectorie.com.

domaine.rossignol.free.frDomaine Rossignol
Pascal Rossignol (which means nightingale) and his wife Fabienne have 25 hectares (62 acres) of vineyards in Les Aspres zone just outside the village of Passa, west of the A9 motorway between Perpignan and the Spanish border. Originally co-operative growers, they decided to do their own thing and built a cellar and visitor centre a few years ago to focus on quality estate wines. Tasted Feb/March 06:
2002
Côtes du Roussillon Futs de Chene (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan, 14%) - needs a little air to open up, developing earthy plum fruit with light red pepper notes; quite firm and chunky tannins yet also has good depth of fruit for this vintage, rounded out by a touch of chocolate oak. €7.50 87
2004 Muscat d'Alexandrie sec, Vin de Pays d'Oc (Muscat, 13%) - yet another nice example (see below) of a fresh, dry, crisp and mineral Muscat; this one has aniseed characters too and is quite concentrated with elegant  length, try with Thai food. €4.20 87-89
2004 Côtes du Roussillon rosé
(Syrah & Grenache, 13%) - gentle ripe red fruit cocktail with elegant acidity adding freshness. €4.50 85-87
2004 Côtes du Roussillon rouge - attractive young berry fruit combines with lightly dry tannins to produce a nice red for drinking with simple food. 83-85
2004 Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres 'Bérénice' (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre & Carignan) - just bottled when I tasted it, so the spicy aromatic oak is a little dominant at the moment; however, this has attractive texture and elegant depth of perfumed fruit underneath, subtle length too. 87-89
2003 Côtes du Roussillon Futs de Chene 'Le Graal' (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan, 14%) - some complex sulphide notes on the otherwise closed nose, powerful concentrated and grippy mouthfeel; very young, needs at least 2 years to show itself. 89+
Tasted June 2007:
2006 Muscat sec, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (13.5%) - floral grape and white peach aromas with light aniseed notes; soft yet full palate, nice and fresh but rounded too. €4.50 87+
2005 Côtes du Roussillon rouge (Syrah Carignan Grenache 14%) - attractive perfumed spicy plum and black cherry nose; nice juicy ripe fruit v lightly dry bite and grip, rounded and soft v power too. €5 87
2004 Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres Bérénice (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre & Carignan) - vanilla coco oak tinged with spicy floral cherry fruit; medium depth, rounded v extracted grip. Quite elegant I guess but seems a bit simple and obvious in terms of overdone new oak v depth of fruit. €9.50 however! 85-87
R
oute de Villemolaque, 66300 Passa. Tel/fax: 04 68 38 83 17; domaine.rossignol@free.fr, domaine.rossignol.free.fr.

Domaine Rouaud
Jérôme Rouaud and his wife set up their domaine less than 5 years ago, farming nine hectares (22 acres) organically from the start; which means they got certified status from the 2005 vintage. Before that, Jérôme worked in the car industry in Paris (yawn) then for Nicolas wine shops; went to Bordeaux to study winemaking and viticulture, moved to the Roussillon to work as a winery assistant, and finally bought, ripped out and rebuilt an old cellar in Pézilla west of Perpignan. Wines tasted June 2006:
2005
Têt blanc  (Carignan blanc) - he has a few, rare white Carignan vines mixed in with the red ones. Mineral tones with light toast and creamy edges, fat mouthfeel v lively intensity v power too; interesting. 87+
2005 Frivole doux (Muscat petits-grains) - less residual sugar than Muscat de Rivesaltes with 33 grams/litre and 12% alc. Nice fresh grapey style, more medium dry really on its clean finish. 85
2004 Barbacane Grenache, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - attractive spicy black fruits with tobacco tones, ripe with soft tannins and attractive pure flavours. 87-89
2003 Côtes du Roussillon rouge  (Syrah Carignan Grenache) - lovely dried fruits displaying liquorice and black cherry notes, appealing maturing spicy fruit with oily texture and background dry tannins; weighty length with lingering tobacco fruit. 89+
2004 Têt Pourpre, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Carignan Grenache) - more overt coconut oak immersed in delicious spicy fruit, blackberry/olive; full bodied with good depth v firm tannins, tight lively length, beginning to develop on the finish. 90+
2003 Tuilé (will go back into barriques before bottling) - intense peppery oxidised plum and tobacco aromas, rich and sweet v nice cut of alcohol.
2005 Frivole rosé, Vin de Pays Côtes Catalanes (purely so he can put Syrah Grenache on the label) - juicy red fruit style, quite chunky without being blowsy, nice fresh finish. 87
These wines are priced from around €5 to €10. More of them here and here.
7 Rue du Portal d’Amont, 66370
Pézilla-la-Rivière. Tel: 04 68 92 46 59, mobile: 06 98 17 22 81; email: rouaudvigneron@aol.com

Marc Bournazeau from www.chateau-saint-roch.frChâteau Saint-Roch
This stunning estate and château were owned by Emma Florensa and Marc Bournazeau, who make a pretty spotless range of vin de pays, Côtes du Roussillon and Maury wines. I say 'were' as the expansionist Domaine Lafage has recently (late summer 2007) bought the property, although things are still a bit up in the air while they finalise all the fine detail, I'm told. Nevertheless, Saint-Roch has to be on your Maury-area visiting list, found down a track off to the right before the village, where the road bends around and crosses the river. The domaine has now reduced to around 30 ha/75 acres and produces quite a broad gambit of styles including more commercial offerings, such as 'Pink' rosé, Sauvignon Blanc etc. in addition to the local 'classics', which I tasted in situ in April 2007.
2003 La Bastide blanc (mostly
Grenache gris plus Macabeu) – quite subtle toasty notes with aniseed, spice and creamy overtones; honeyed v mineral flavours with soft rounded finish, good but drink now as it's freshness is disappearing. 85-87
2003 Chimères Côtes du Roussillon Villages (60%
Grenache plus Carignan Syrah) – ripe and resiny with wild herbs, liquorice and black fruits; 'sweet' v maturing savoury palate with firm dry bite keeping it nicely alive. 88-90
2004 Kerbuccio Côtes du Roussillon Villages (
Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre) – fragrant coconut oak aromas bolstered by nice berry and black olive notes, developing savoury edges v light chocolate texture; firm tight long finish needing time to fuse properly, although the oak is much better balanced than previously. €23 90-92
2004 Maury – attractive youthful spicy blackberry and dark chocolate flavours, quite firm at the moment with underlying sweetness and alcohol present.
89
Tasted February 2008:
2002 Chimères Côtes du Roussillon Villages (60% old-vine
Grenache 10% old-vine Carignan 30% Syrah 13% abv) – mature prune fig and gravy notes underpinned by coco oak, attractive savoury leather v dried fruits on the palate, the tannins are rather dry and extracted but it has quite good length and style; coming back to it the next day, it's rather grippy and hard v remaining fruit. Good with Catalan sausage and mushroom risotto! On offer at Champion supermarket for €5.20 (stock clearance perhaps? Worth a go though at the price). 87-89
More St-Roch wines here, from the 6
th Fenouillèdes Wine Fair.
Château Saint-Roch, 66460
Maury. Tel: 04 68 29 07 20, www.chateau-saint-roch.fr, chateausaintroch@aol.com

From www.sarda-malet.comDomaine Sarda Malet
Bearing in mind it’s located on the city's southern outskirts not far from the motorway, this sizeable estate (50 hectares, 124 acres) isn't easy to find. And once you get there, you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere: best approached from the by-pass between the two N9 turnoffs - Girona and Perpignan centre or vice versa - look out for the prison on the other side of the road! Or try the Perpignan south - Canohès rough back road. One of the leading lights in the Perpignan area, the winery and vineyards are run by Suzie Sarda-Malet and her young estate manager Vincent Bascou. Their Carignan and Grenache were mostly planted in the 1930s and 40s; in the 80s, Suzie and her father stopped using synthetic sprays to return to traditional manual work in the vineyards. At the same time, they started replanting Syrah and Mourvèdre and white varieties Roussanne, Marsanne, Malvoisie and Viognier to supplement the old Grenache blanc & Macabeo. I tasted some of their range on a warm sunny mid October day:
2005 Le Sarda Côtes du Roussillon blanc - perfumed and floral with lightly volatile complexity, interestingly fresh and mineral palate. 85
2005 Le Sarda Côtes du Roussillon rouge - delicious black cherry / currant fruit leads to a liquorice palate, juicy and attractive v light tannins in the background. 85-87
2003 Réserve Côtes du Roussillon rouge - intricate leather and spice notes, ripe and rounded showing subtle oak v plenty of developing fruit; good bite and length, elegant for a 2003 (hot vintage). 88-90
2003 Terroir Mailloles (low yielding parcels of
Syrah and Mourvèdre) - enticingly smoky nose, lush dark fruit and background oak; oakier on the palate but there's more of those nice black fruits with chocolate texture, concentrated and powerful yet hides its 14% and new-ish oak quite well. 89-91
L'Insouciant 4 (100% low yielding
Grenache, 2004 vintage but they aren't allowed to state the year - hence the cryptic 4 - as it's classed as table wine!) - attractive 'sweet' fruit and spices, soft and leathery v oomph (the 15% isn't obvious though); in the end quite fine actually, very enjoyable mouthful. 90-92
2003 Terroir Mailloles blanc - toasty yet has lots of floral apricot fruit, quite rich and fat then fresher finish; pretty oaky but it works thanks to that lovely maturing fruit. 89
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - appealing freshness v concentrated and sweet, plenty of flavour and pizzazz on the finish. 89
1999 La Carbasse, Rivesaltes (
Grenache) - liquorice and ageing fruit, oxidised truffle notes too; dark chocolate mouth-feel with delicious complex maturing fruit, not so sweet in the end with very long finish, keeps opening up. 92-94
Chemin de Sainte Barbe, 66000 Perpignan. Tel: 04 68 56 72 38; suzymalet@wanadoo.fr, www.sarda-malet.com

Domaine de la Serre
Jean Louis Vera's promising estate is comprised of several plots spread around the Maury area and is run by his winemaking son Arnaud. I sampled the wines below at the Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007; and I did visit their winery once a couple of years before that, although then it was a building site with new vats and barrels positioned here and there wherever there was space. Meaning the domaine name and cellar have only been around in recent times, but the family were co-op growers for many years before going down their own vinous path (that's enough of the literary drivel, ed.).
2004 Cailloux blanc
(
Grenache blanc Macabeu Muscat) – still quite fresh and mineral with a weighty mouth-feel (14.5% certainly helps), but it's surprisingly drinkable actually. 87
2005 Cailloux rouge
(Grenache) – lively juicy cherry style, easy and tasty. 83-85
2003 Serre Longue
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan Syrah) – fair splash of oak but it's rich and lively, grippy dry texture v sweet fruit and oak; quite well balanced despite its punch (14.5%). 88-90
2002 Hypogée
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Grenache Carignan) – again toasty vanilla is up-front (50% new barrels used) but it has lovely savoury v liquorice flavours, structured chunky tannins and power (15%) v 'sweet' roundness. 89-91
2002 Serre Longue
attractive savoury leather edges, a touch oxidised although still quite lush v firm backdrop, potent and long. 89
2003 Pierres Levées
rather coconutty with dense black fruits underneath, dry yet rounded tannins; that oak lingers somewhat, will the fruit outlive it? 89
10 Rue du Docteur Pougault, 66460
Maury. Tel: 04 68 59 18 36.

From www.serrelongue.comDomaine Serrelongue
Julien Fournier is commendably focused on Mourvèdre and Grenache, excited even judging by his up-front labels (example, right) and the red blends he creates. Mourvèdre makes up 30% of both his 'starter' wine, Saveur de Vigne (€9), and top cuvée Esprit de Vin (with 60% Syrah and 10 Grenache, priced at an ambitious €28); and 60% M for the Extrait de Passion label (€22). Grenache makes up the remainder of the latter, is also 40% of Saveur (the rest Syrah) and 100% for Julien's Maury VDN, of course. Confusing and geeky percentage figures aside, the Grenache all grows on the classic Maury area, warm exposed dry schist soils; and the M and S come from his other vineyard, made up of big pebbles on clay-limestone. All in all, another very promising estate; I do hope Julien moderates his fondness for new oak! I tasted these two barrel samples at the Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007:
2005 Saveur de Vigne – quite a bit of oak but it's well handled, attractive generous fruit and underlying richness with a chocolatey finish.
89-91
2006 Saveur de Vigne – lively herbal black cherry fruit tinged with chocolate oak notes, certainly promising and quite elegant.
Find more Serrelongue wines here, from the 6
th Fenouillèdes Wine Fair.
149 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 66460
Maury. Tel: 04 68 59 02 17, julienf66@aol.com; www.serrelongue.com

Domaine Singla cuvée MoliDomaine Singla
Young Laurent de Besombes' stimulating range of Catalan-titled wines is born out of two very different vineyard sites. He has 70 ha/175 acres in total: 45 in the Salses-le-Château area snuggling up to the Corbières hills (called Mas Passe Temps), and 25 near Camélas in Les Aspres zone (called Mas d'en Alby) between Thuir and Ille-sur-Têt. However, for the moment only about 11 ha of selected varieties are the source of the Singla label, launched in 2001. Laurent has 24 ha of Muscat and other whites used to make Rivesaltes VDN styles, and he sells off the rest in bulk to the local co-op. His Singla reds are priced between €8 and €10 a bottle, because "I want to stay reasonably priced despite all the work involved (he farms organically too). It's difficult to try and make a name for yourself straight away with very expensive wines. In this region, you can find neighbours where one sells for €50 and the other's losing money. It's more about getting the most out of, and highlighting the different terroirs."
Hence Laurent claims to be "super selective about what fruit goes in," and "there's no press wine in the blends either. I use whole berries, foot treading and usually no temperature control, apart from doing 'rack and return' on the big cuve to cool it down." (Literally emptying one vat into another then back again, which helps aerate the must, lose some heat and extract colour/tannin.) The range is a mix of Côtes du Roussillon and Vin de Pays, as "if the taste matches AOC regulations, then fine; if not, I don't care." Good for you, I say...
I tasted these wines in April 2007 in Laurent's Rivesaltes cellar (which he's doing up into a more suitable 'tasting space' and shop), and the leftovers over the next few days.
2004 Castell Vell (mostly 7 year-old
Syrah, 14.5%) - nice juicy fruit with light coconut tones v meatier savoury edges; fairly full with attractively chunky tannins and finish, dense grippy and savoury. 87-89
2005 La Pinède, Côtes du Roussillon (old vine
Grenache Carignan Syrah, 14%) - attractive pure blackcurrant/cherry/berry fruit with very light spicy oak, turning more black olive and liquorice after one day; quite tight and firm with fine length and freshness, chunkier than above with dry textured tannins needing 6 months or more to open up. 89-91
2004 La Pinède
, Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Carignan, 14%) - more forward and juicy-fruity with black cherry and wild herbs, nice solid yet elegant fruit and fresh length v tight firm and powerful; well-balanced and quite fine, the oak melted into the wine after one day open. 89
2004 Passe Temps
, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (mostly Grenache, 14.5%) - succulent rich black fruits and liquorice, turning savoury/rustic on the palate with a touch of bitter chocolate oak; quite lush and weighty (14.5%) v firm and fresh bite and length with lingering wild fruits and leather. 88-90
2004 El Molí
, Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Grenache Carignan 14%) – delicious black cherry fruit with coco/cedar oak notes, soft yet dense fruit v dry textured grainy tannins; once again nice bite and lively finish v lush liquorice and (alc) weight. 89-91
2004 La Crinyane
, Côtes du Roussillon (mostly old vine Carignan plus Grenache, 14%) - a little closed to start off, light oak v fine liquorice and dark plum fruit on the palate with soy sauce edges, quite dense lush and concentrated yet elegant with attractive coating of rounded tannins; not very expressive needing a bit of time, as the fruit does come out slowly with aeration. 89-91
7 Rue Pasteur, 66600
Rivesaltes (cellar). Tel: 04 68 28 30 68 (home) / mobile: 06 11 77 07 11; laurent.debesombes@free.fr, www.domainesingla.com

Domaine des Soulanes
Cathy and Daniel Laffite's 15+ lost hectares (40 acres) in the stoney hilly back-lands between Tautavel and Maury, are composed mostly of Grenache noir with a little blanc and gris too ("best for aroma and complexity" according to Cathy), plus Carignan red and white. Daniel's step-father, who they bought the property from, farmed organically until 1993, when mass spraying was done in the area from the air to combat virus. "It's more philosophical than a marketing thing for us," he explained, "now we're as organic as possible...but certain plots are surrounded by other people spraying." They spend a lot of time working the 'soil' encouraging the vines to grow deep roots to reach water, as "we only get 400mm or so of rain here (about 16 inches)."
This must be back-breaking work. Walking around part of their vineyard, I said to myself "how does anything grow in this?!" It's nothing but hard dry stones and flaky schist, hence the inverted commas around 'soil'. Daniel quipped "I get through two pairs of climbing boots a year!" The domaine itself was only set up in 2001 and now sells around 3,000 cases per annum, most of it exported. Wines below tasted on 4/9/06 in context of a rather good lunch at the
Auberge du Cellier in nearby Montner - see Fenouillèdes wine fair for other Soulanes wines.
2005 Cuvée Jean Pull, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (vat sample: 2/3 Carignan 1/3 Grenache) - attractively rich blackberry and spice with inky liquorice depth and peppery black cherry undertones, lush mouth-feel yet fresh and long; power v finesse to finish. 89-91
2004 Cuvée Jean Pull, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (2/3 Grenache 1/3 Carignan) - more developed and aromatic with floral peppery black cherry notes, has rustic richness yet some elegance too; less dense and complex than the 05 with more leathery maturity, very nice to drink now. 87-89
Both vintages were surprisingly good with plump savoury gambas & goats' cheese with honey, usually a bad clash combo for big reds.
2004 Sarrat del Mas, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan Syrah) - floral wild herbs combine with oak undertones, peppery rustic palate with soft fruit and texture v dry grip to finish; tight fine length: 90-92. Lovely with the rabbit dish.
2004 Maury (15%, 93 g/l residual sugar) - seductive liquorice and leather aromas, lightly oxidised tones v rich fruit, good balance of sweetness with dry grip and bite of alcohol; lingering leather and chocolate, quite elegant in fact. 88-90
Mas-de-las-Frèdes, off the D69, 66720 Tautavel. Tel: 04 68 29 12 84, fax: 04 68 29 12 84; les.soulanes@wanadoo.fr

Domaine Terre Rousse
Tasters had the opportunity to try all four vintages (so far) of Serge Rousse's Côtes du Roussillon Villages reds side by side, at the 2007 edition of the Fenouillèdes wine show held in Tautavel. All 4 wines are made from approximately 40% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre; a vineyard blend "that matches my cuverie perfectly... each vintage I've been aiming for more fruit and less wood." Nice to hear that coming from a Bordelais, and judging by my notes below, I agree wholeheartedly this is the way to go. There are already too many Roussillon reds swamped in flashy new oak with the same flavour and texture!
2006 (cask sample) – lovely juicy black cherry fruit, pretty firm tannins yet rounded with fresh length. Will be good... as long as he doesn't leave it too long in barrel!
89
2005 – again delicious fruit and style, liquorice with very light leather tones; attractive bite and balance with 'sweet' v dry texture and subtle lingering flavour.
90-92
2004 – lightly toasted and a little baked, richer and firmer palate than expected with chocolate notes; prefer the 2005 and 2006.
85-87
2003 – more restrained and 'Bordeaux' in style, nicely maturing fruit v oak backdrop, more structured although has background ripe v savoury fruit.
85-87
Route de Cucugnan, 66460
Maury. Mobile: 06 12 94 10/20? 35, sergerousse@wanadoo.fr

Domaine du Traginer
No-nonsense Jean-François Deu is proud of his organic status and philosophy – some wines even have no added sulphites – combined with certain biodynamic methods (he doesn't go with the full monty witchcraft), which match his laid-back manner yet uncompromising standards. The result is a classy range of wines going from his pure floral site-blended Collioure red, to the peppery refined Cuvée du Capitas and delicious late harvest Banyuls ‘mise tardive’ (late bottled). Jean-François spends long hours out in his vineyards (best to ring his mobile number if you want to see him personally, although you can taste the wines in his shop from spring to autumn) working the soil and stimulating the vines' natural defences by applying various biodynamic remedies. He’s also trying to make things less labour intensive by 'mechanising' some of the work, which isn’t an easy task in the area’s mostly narrow, terraced and very steep vineyards. Actually, that's a little bit of a joke; he uses a mule and plough, which is a touch easier on the back no doubt!
I tasted these wines at Millésime Bio in Perpignan, January 2008. Click here for other Traginer vintages (Millésime Bio 06). UK merchant
Stone, Vine & Sun lists a few of his wines.
2004 Cuvée Capitas, Collioure rouge – ripe and raisiny with aromatic dark plum tones, concentrated and chunky showing a touch of oak and alcohol, rounded v grippy finish.
90-92+
2006 Cuvée al Ribéral, Collioure rouge – liquorice and spice notes lead on to a concentrated inky palate, closes up on the finish although has lovely underlying black fruits.
89-91
2005 Collioure rouge – coconut spicy oak is quite prominent at the moment, but this has lovely depth of fruit v solid tannins.
90-92
2003 Cuvée d'Octobre, Collioure rouge – more raisiny and smoky, light old wood spice otherwise firm v ripe mouth-feel.
88
2006 Banyuls Rimage – fruity pruney nose with youthful fruit v grip v sweetness on the palate; very nice style.
90
2003 Banyuls Grand Cru – much more oxidised, Tawny style with complex maturing tones; good but personally prefer the Rimage wine.
89
16 (cellar) or 56 (house) Avenue du Puig del Mas, 66650
Banyuls-sur-Mer. Shop: 7 Rue St-Pierre, from April to October 10am-12pm/4-7pm. Tel: 04 68 88 15 11 / 04 68 88 00 68 / mobile 06 79 17 99 31, jfdeu@hotmail.com

From www.domainetreloar.comDomaine Treloar
Yorkshireman Jonathan Hesford and his New Zealander wife Rachel (Treloar is her maiden name) set up this promising estate in 2006. Having narrowly escaped NYC's tragic 9/11 disaster, the family left for New Zealand seeking pastures new. Jonathan studied viticulture and winemaking then worked for leading Kiwi winery Neudorf; a few years later they ended up in the Roussillon, lured by its inexpensive vine-land and warm climate, to fulfil their dream as the story goes.
Jonathan's approach is refreshingly honest: "I just like to show people what I do in the vineyard, instead of banging on about special terroir." And, in response to the rather laboured topic of the region's generally meagre yields (and the slightly mysterious way this is officially measured, administered and communicated, from a consumer rather than rigid production point of view): "There's too much emphasis on yield, low yield = quality is rubbish." As well as entirely rational views on the Roussillon's AOC structure, similar to those echoed elsewhere in this guide, especially relating to the Aspres zone (they have one parcel of Syrah classified within this): "...valid concept but too broad, I want to make the best wine I can and tailor it to suit customers... too much variation in quality... OK for co-ops and merchants, not much good for people like me..."
Treloar consists of 10 ha (25 acres) split between two main chunks located on the gentle slopes surrounding the village of Trouillas, where the couple have renovated a huge old stone cellar and converted part of it into their house fitted with a tasting/function room. They also do lunches for €10-€12 per person (booked in advance), vineyard tours and a variety of tasting events: see website below for details.
These wines were 'sampled' over a summer 2007 BBQ and again over lunch during the vintage (I helped pick a few bunches of Mourvèdre by the way):
2006 One Block
Muscat, Vin de Pays d'Oc (Muscat à petits grains, 12.5%) - enticing nose with floral grapey grapefruit and orange peel tones, fuller creamier mouth-feel v aromatic and crisp. Nice with ewe's milk cheese. 87
2006
Muscat of Alexandria, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (12.5%) - less aromatic and more mineral in style with light yeast lees and citrus notes, again quite rounded and oily v fresh acidity. 80-85
2006 One Block
Grenache, Vin de Pays d'Oc (14%) - attractive r