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Listed in alphabetical order
(ignoring Mas, Domaine, Château, Clos, 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. Also includes
my favourites from these wine shows: Fenouillèdes 2007-2009, Millésime Bio 2008-2010 and Vinisud 2008.
On this page:
Domaine/Château Bernard Magrez, Majas,
Marcevol, Matassa,
Monty,
Mossé, Mudigliza,
Nivet-Galinier, Origine,
Ou, Clot Oum,
J-P Padié,
Paulilles, Pechpeyrou,
Perdrix, Clos Perdus,
Pertuisane, Petite Baigneuse, Piétri-Géraud,
Pithon, Pouderoux,
Préceptorie, Puig-Parahÿ, Pujol Rourède,
Rancy, Rectorie,
Rey,
Rivaton, Rossignol,
Rouaud, Rous,
Rousselin.
The rest: Roussillon 1: A to C
Roussillon 2: D to L Roussillon 4: S to Z
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 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
Tasted July 2009
2006 Côtes du Roussillon red -
attractive uncomplicated style, quite soft and fruity with dark berry
fruits, a bit of spice and minty touches; turning more savoury on its
dry vs rounded finish. About €3 on promotion.
83-85
21 Rue de la Bartasse, 66220 Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes.
Tel: 04 68 59 94 41, mobile 06 21 61 38 74;
domainedemajas@wanadoo.fr.
Domaine Marcevol
Guy Prédal is one of the Roussillon's rapidly swelling band of vocal supporters
and practitioners of organic grape growing; Guy controversially although
logically suggests that any future EC subsidies to help growers should only be
for converting to organics. Click here (a piece I did for Decanter) and
here
(rather long and serious dissertation on the Roussillon) to read a few more of his
views. His 10 hectares (25 acres) of vineyards lie on the sparse (in terms of
vineyards anyway, this is about as far west as they go in the region) and wild terrain
to the west and north of the town of Vinça, where you'll find his cellar. These
wines were sampled at the 2008 Millésime Bio wine show (Jan. 08
Perpignan):
2006 Carignan - nice blackcurrant and cherry
fruit with liquorice tones; fresh, tight and medium-bodied finish.
85
2005 L'Alouette
Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Syrah Carignan) -
fuller and juicier than above with firm yet rounded mouth-feel, attractive
style. 85+
2005 Tradition (Grenache Carignan) - more
concentrated than above showing tobacco and liquorice style, lively and elegant
v dry textured finish. 87
2005 Prestige (Syrah Carignan Grenache) -
aromatic cherry and cassis notes give way to a closed and firm palate, nice
tannins though v again that trademark 'freshness' and length.
87-89
2006 Oxo (100%
Carignan) - aromatic floral
black cherry fruit moves on to taut refreshing mouth-feel, elegant v
concentrated style needing a couple of years to express itself.
89-91
164 Avenue Général de Gaulle, 66320
Vinça.
Tel: 04 68 05 74 34, marcevolpredal@wanadoo.fr.
 Domaine
Matassa
Matassa is the name of the original vineyard bought in 2002 by Tom Lubbe
(originally from South Africa, I think, although has worked in a few
countries), his wife Nathalie (Gérard Gauby's sister) and Sam Harrop MW (a
New Zealander winemaking consultant based in London); which is now part of
14 biodynamically farmed ha (35 acres) located roughly in two spots:
around the village of Calce, where they live and where the cellar is, and
a fair way west of here near Le Viviers on the Fenouilledes hills at over
500 metres altitude. Tom is rather sceptical about "appellation" and
prefers to label their wines as vin de pays Côtes Catalanes, which he believes "...has more resonance for us and others."
I took that comment and the following ones from a survey done three years ago,
so he might have changed his mind on some of these ideas; but I doubt it. When
asked about plans afoot in the region to create new "cru"
appellation zones, he said: "I think more bureaucracy is not so
desirable, but that particular villages or areas will create, re-create
their own identities for the future." Arguably, this is already happening
in Calce (Matassa, Gauby,
Padié, Pithon etc.). And on the topic of organics, is it really
a major asset for the Roussillon in particular? "It should be," but
obviously still difficult to
convince everyone... I tasted these with Tom at Millésime Bio wine fair
2010 in Montpellier. The "three trees" wines are a new, earlier drinking
(and
less expensive) range, by the way.
2009 three trees blanc (Macabeu,
Carignan blanc, Vermentino) - nice juicy leesy
style with lively crisp finish. 85
2008 Marguerite blanc (Muscat,
Viognier) - very intense mineral notes vs
rich exotic and spicy aromas/flavours; lovely length and bite vs concentrated
fruit and creamy lees tones. 89+
2008 Matassa blanc (Grenache gris,
Macabeu) - nutty cider aromas with again that
intense mineral side vs oily, concentrated peachy and peppery. Wow.
90-92
2009 three trees Cabernet Franc -
reduced notes on the nose (not a finished
wine sample) but has attractive, spicy, leafy, tobacco edges and red fruit cocktail;
appealing "sweet" vs spicy/savoury finish. 85+
2009 three trees Grenache /
Carignan - enticing lively juicy style with
liquorice flavours and soft peppery palate. 85+
2007 Romanissa rouge - also a tad reduced, leading on to firmer closed up
palate; yet again shows delicious spicy liquorice leather and wild berry notes,
intense powerful finish needing 1 to 2 years to come together.
90+
2006 Romanissa (mostly Grenache &
Carignan + Mourvèdre,
Cabernet Sauvignon) - slightly wild,
volatile and complex nose; intense concentrated
berries and spice, a tad of background oak adding texture, lively peppery finish
turning meaty/savoury with hints of leather. 90-92
Previous Matassa here (Vinisud show
2006).
10 Route d'Estagel, 66600 Calce. Tel:
04.68.64.10.13,
www.matassawine.com.
 "Château"
Monty
Inverted
commas as it's not really a Chateau but the name of writer, biodynamic
consultant and now broadcaster-winemaker Monty Waldin's TV programme
(shown autumn 2008 on Channel 4 in the UK) and book; as you can see from
the picture I stole off his website: click on the link below. So, for
those of you who watched and/or read it; you already know the 'trials &
tribulations' story about Monty's dream to rent a vineyard (in the
northern Roussillon, from friend and mentor
Eric Laguerre),
farm it and produce grapes using biodynamic principles and methods, make a
red wine and sell it to a British wine merchant. All set to a rather nice
backdrop, of course, giving you a good feel for what it's like to try to
be as natural a winegrower as possible.
For more info on biodynamics etc., again have a look at his site as he
knows more about it than me by a long way; also
click here for a report I did on a
biodynamic growers' tasting three years ago, with a few words from
Nicolas Joly. Monty now lives in Tuscany most of the time, when he's not mixing
up his witches' brews in St-Martin de Fenouillet. Anyway, I bumped into
him at this year's Millésime Bio wine show (Jan 2009, Montpellier), where
he had samples of his 2008 wines hidden underneath Eric's stand. He's made
a white and rosé too this vintage, by the way; all three are available in
the UK in Adnam's wine shops at £8.99. Here's my verdict for what
it's worth:
2008 Monty's white (Macabeu) -
aromatic and appley v light exotic fruit and a tad of creaminess; fresh
and mineral mouth-feel v touch of weight and nice length.
87+
July 2009: I tried the bottled version of the white,
blind in fact, and found it more appley and real cider like with nutty,
verging on oxidising actually, peach stone edges; lost a bit of its zesty
side although it's definitely quite wild and funky, if that's your thing.
85+
2008 Monty's rosé - steely crisp style
with elegant rose petal and red fruit notes; again nice dry zesty finish.
87
2008 Monty's red (Carignan + a tad of
Syrah) - delicious aromatic crunchy blueberry
and cassis fruit; tasty palate turning more savoury on the finish, good
mix of nice quaffer v substance and grip. 87+
Update: the 2009 vintage
Chateau Monty wines are from and made in Tuscany, so I'll report back if
and when I get the chance to try them...
www.montywaldin.com,
m.waldin@montywaldin.com.
 Château 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: "previous wines of the
moment" will have more Mossé wines (dry Muscat and rosé), if I ever
get round to restoring that page...
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
Tasted June 2009 over dinner at Can Marty restaurant, Thuir:
2007 Le Rosé - still
drinking well with nice ripe red fruits and oily texture v bit of weight
and freshness. Pretty good with duck and steak even.
87
2008 Le Rosé -
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.
 Mas Mudigliza
This slightly curiously named estate is
Dimitri Glipa and Muriel Samson's fairly new operation based to the west
of Maury. Not much on their site at the moment except this nice picture of
an old casot, one of those cute little stone shelters you see
around in the middle of vineyards, just waiting to be converted into a
trendy little studio (I jest)... I tasted these two promising wines at the
now internationally famous (I've mentioned it often enough!) and rocking
Fenouillèdes show in late April 2009:
2007 Caudalouis white - floral
"mineral" notes turning honeyed and juicy with lightly toasty edges; very
dry and crisp vs subtle yeast-lees and toasted texture.
85+
2007 Carminé red Côtes du Roussillon -
lovely spicy nose with violet, dark cherry and chocolate tones; tasty
"sweet & savoury" palate with chunky but ripe tannins, powerful and fruity
on the finish. 88-90
UPDATE to follow (summer 2010)...
20 Rue de Lesquerde, 66220 St-Paul-de-Fenouillet.
Tel: 04 68 35 01 99,
masmudigliza@neuf.fr,
www.masmudigliza.fr.
Domaine Nivet-Galinier
David and Boris Nivet farm their 7 ha/17 acres of treasured vines
biodynamically ("Demeter" certified since 2001), which are found in the "Aspres"
zone a few kilometres southwest of Perpignan. They sell most of their wines in
France but do export a bit to Japan, so I'm told. I tasted these with Boris at
the Millésime Bio 2010 trade fair in Montpellier:
2008 Macabeu vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes - attractive
"oxidative"
style showing nutty vs honey and banana notes; quite rich mouthfeel actually vs
appley and mineral bite, crisp length too. 89
2008 Macabeu/Grenache
gris vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - similar although showing
more yeast-lees notes and perhaps fuller too; rounded mouthfeel vs again has
nice bite and length. 89
2005 Côtes du Roussillon les Aspres
(Carignan,
Syrah,
Grenache)
- lovely maturing savoury tobacco-tinged nose with underlying "sweet" liquorice;
firm and peppery palate with dry coating of tannins vs lush dark fruit.
89+
2006 Côtes
du Roussillon les Aspres
(Carignan,
Syrah,
Grenache) - smokier and more
rustic (bretty even); "inky" vs rich and dark
with meaty undertones, pity about that farmy side as it's got natural intensity.
86-88
2006 Côtes du Roussillon
(similar blend with more
Syrah) - spicier dark cherry
aromas, same kind of lush liquorice and "tar" styling; smoky but not too, grippy
mouthfeel although quite well-balanced.
87+
Route du Soler, 66300 Ponteilla. Tel: 04 68 56 51 20,
nivet-galinier@orange.fr.
 Clos
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 "kilometre-age" 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 (as long
as you keep a close eye on everything). 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
Update 2009:
a comprehensive tasting tour around, and from, Marc's increasing
collection of varying sizes of vats and barrels in March produced
the following notes and comments.
2008 Grenache gris /
Grenache blanc (already blended in a
six year-old cask) - light apricot aromas & flavours vs appley and crisp; very dry
yet honeyed and floral, nice style.
2008 Grenache gris /
Grenache blanc (same blend, one year-old 400 litre
barrel) - a bit fatter with yeast-less juiciness, pineapple fruit then
turns crisp and fresh with good length. He'll blend the two probably.
2008 Macabeu /
Muscat - attractive mix of juicy and spicy vs aromatic,
grapey
and clean.
2008 Grenache rosé (from Maury, picked 25 August with 13.5%, run off
quickly) - appealing juicy spicy light red fruit cocktail, crisp dry and tasty.
2008 Muscat ("petits grains" on
schist) - picked on 18 August around 12% potential: lively aromatic grapey
and citrus notes, clean "straight" and crisp palate.
2008 Syrah ("carbonic maceration") -
perfumed spicy very-Syrah nose with rustic edges, juicy cherry fruit;
quite easy although has a bit of grip though.
2008 Carignan (+ splash of
Lladoner Pelut, from Montner & Estagel) -
tangy and structured with elder/blueberry aromas / flavours, firm tannins
vs quite delicate mineral frisson.
2008 Grenache (Maury, picked 30
September from north-facing clay-chalk slopes, 14%) - quite tautly
textured actually with very solid framework vs delicious liquorice and
spice flavours. Should be an excellent element in the blend.
2007 Soif (Carignan Grenache Syrah) -
the only finished wine I tried this time: aromatic dark cherries with
smoky tobacco notes and wild strawberries too; nice depth of fruit set on
firm tannins and fresh bite, very tasty and, erm, thirst-quenching I guess
(soif = thirst)! 87+
2007 Grenache - a bit volatile and/or
dirty or reduced; something odd on the
nose for sure? But its powerful structured mouthfeel finishes with much
nicer wild fruits and herbs.
2008 Muscat "Alexandrie" - a bit
"fatter" than above with exotic curry (I can't read my notes very well but
that's what it looks like!) and orange/lemon twang; nice cut with clean
aromatic finish.
1
Route de
Lesquerde, 66460
Maury.
Tel: 04 68 53 10 38, mobile 06 75 03 71 71;
closdelorigine@gmail.com,
closdelorigine.free.fr.
Château de l'Ou
Philippe Bourrier
has 24 organically farmed (for ten years) hectares (60 acres) of vines with two more close
to being officially certified. L'Ou's wines, which I think means egg in Catalan
(which does feature on some of their labels so could be a good guess), are sold
about 50-50 in France and abroad - email them for more details if you're
interested in trying them in your neck of the woods. Yet another Roussillon estate I haven't got
around to visiting yet, but I've tried their wines on a few occasions (click
here for more) and find them pretty good overall. This one was gleaned
from this year's Millésime Bio wine trade fair (Perpignan Jan. 08); more
to follow once I pop across to Montescot...
2006
Côtes du Roussillon
rouge (mostly Syrah Grenache)
- nice tart black cherry fruit with spicy liquorice edges; grippy coating of
tannins with powerful finish, closes up a little but shows promise.
88-90
Domaine du Lac, 66200
Montescot.
Tel: 04 68 54 68 67, chateaudelou66@orange.fr.
 Clot de l'Oum
Eric
and Lèia Monné are making some stylish wines
sourced from 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 good estates around
here, such as Ch. Caladroy: see
page 1). Eric very neatly, and
bluntly, once 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, wine style 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+
Previous vintages
here (Fenouillèdes
2006).
2010
update:
I caught up with Eric
and Lèia at this year's edition of Millésime Bio organic
fair, in Montpellier, and tried the latest vintages below including three
of their excellent old-vine Saint Bart cuvée. They've been applying
organics since 2002, by the way, with a few biodynamic twists in the plot
too. Eric was commendably honest, as seems to be his style, when talking
about how he ended up in Bélesta (paraphrasing): "At the time, I knew
nothing about vines but liked wine and wanted to buy a vineyard. I was
lucky, as it just turned out to be one of the best spots in the
Roussillon!" Their wines are sold in the UK, US, Canada and Japan among
other countries.
2008 Cine Panetonne (Grenache gris,
Carignan blanc, Macabeu) - floral,
mineral and peachy aromas underpinned by spicy oak; lively and crisp vs
juicy and weighty palate, a touch of toast on the finish but it's still
young and tight. 87+
2008
Compagnie de Papillons Côtes du Roussillon Villages
(Carignan,
Syrah) - lightly smoky
with currant and cassis fruit; juicy and spicy mouthfeel vs firm tannins
and nice elegant length. 87+
2005 Saint Bart (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah)
- wilder nose with garrigue notes and peppery fruit;
still pretty firm with chunky texture underlined by delicious maturing
fruit showing savoury/tobacco edges, grippy vs lush finish.
90+
2006 Saint Bart - tighter, more "classic" and less obvious
than the 05; but does have an enticing mix of dark vs savoury fruit and
solid framework. Leave it for a couple of years.
88+
2007 Saint Bart - more "upfront" on the nose, riper and lush
showing lovely spicy Syrah style; liquorice fruit vs dry grip, powerful
yet balanced. Yum. 90-92
2007 Granito Vino (Carignan)
- closed nose; gets more intense and curranty on the palate with
underlying black fruits, grippy and intense with fine tight finish. Wow,
needs 2-3 years to open up. 92+?
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.
 Domaine
Jean-Philippe Padié
You'll find Jean-Philippe working his twisty old vines "naturally"
(with a bit of biodynamics too actually) up in
the wilds of Calce, where he has 11 hectares divided up into "about 30
parcels." I bumped into J-P in late October 2009 at a "harvest party"
(where they spit-roasted an entire lamb in the yard outside the Tautavel
co-op winery), where I tasted his very nice "little bull" below. I'll
probably be embarking on a comprehensive Calce revisit at some point...
And, if you're ever in the area in early/mid May, there's the village wine fair/"open-day"
called
"les caves se rebiffent" ("wine cellars strike back"), where Jean-Philippe,
well, opens up along with neighbours
Gauby,
Pithon, Matassa and other
local producers. By the way, there's a map of where to find his wines (in
France) on the site link below. Not much luck for you lot in the US or UK
though, as his export markets are Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland
and Canada (Quebec).
2006 Petit Taureau Côtes du
Roussillon (50%
Carignan
30%
Syrah
10% Grenache 10%
Mourvèdre, no oak, 13.5%) - ripe black cherry
with savoury and tobacco edges; rich and intense with attractive tannins
and power/elegance together, "sweet" and savoury finish.
89-91
2010 update: from Millésime Bio
organic wine show in Montpellier, where I tried most of Jean-Philippe's
range:
2008 Fleur de Cailloux white (Macabeu,
Grenache blanc) - appley, quite intense,
crisp and refreshing vs rounded and lightly creamy.
85
2008 Milouise white (Grenache gris,
Grenache blanc: oldest vines) - lees notes
and similarly lively yet richer and rounder; bigger too with greater
concentration, then spicy and mineral finish. 87+
2008 Ad Libitum Côtes du
Roussillon rosé (Carignan,
Mourvèdre) - creamy and nutty vs rose petal
and red fruit tones; a bit odd/unexpected but I like it in the end!
2007
Petit Taureau Côtes du
Roussillon (Grenache,
Carignan,
Syrah, Mourvèdre)
- ripe and rich vs meaty and a tad of
volatile complexity; intense sweet/sour berry fruit vs dry firm
tannins vs lively fruit and weight. 88-90
2008 Calice (Carignan)
- a bit reductive on the nose, lively
blackcurrant palate finishing a bit appley and tart.
2006 Ciel Liquide Côtes du
Roussillon Villages - much lusher with oaky notes, attractive peppery dark
cherry/berry fruit; concentrated and powerful vs full rounded mouthfeel,
followed by tight long finish. Fairly wow. 90-92
11 Rue Pyrénées, 66600 Calce. Tel: 04
68 64 29 85 / 06 99 53 07 66,
contact@domainepadie.com,
www.domainepadie.com.
 Clos 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.
Wine of the moment
February 2009:
2008 Les
Clos de Paulilles
rosé Collioure (Grenache
Syrah 13%) - chunky, red-fruity style with
nice 'vinous' style, texture and weight; dry and zingy v creamy and full.
A touch pricey though at €7.50. 87+
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 Couvartet, 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
The above 2005 Soula tasted again at Millésime Bio wine
show, Jan. 2008 - herby spicy floral red fruits lead on to a lusher
raisiny palate, finishing with leather v wild herb tones. Quirky but good.
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.
 Domaine
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 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...
2010 update: they're building a bold new orangey brown winery alongside
the main road before the village (you can't miss it) - will go there when
it's finished.
7 Rue des Platanes, 66300
Trouillas.
Tel: 04 68 53 12 74, contact@domaine-de-la-perdrix.fr;
www.domaine-de-la-perdrix.fr
 Les 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 the Corbières region and in the northern
Roussillon near Maury (hence why they're
in two guides!). 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 on the coastal side of
the Corbières, not far from Sigean and the sea obviously. Sampled
at the
Fenouillèdes in April 2007:
2005
Prioundo Corbières (around Villesques:
Grenache Cinsault Mourvèdre)
– quite tight and fresh, peppery v cherry fruit, a touch
bitter perhaps but it displays nice elegance.
85-87
2005
Cuvée 31 Corbières (Peyriac area:
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
Corbières
(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
(Maury area:
Lladoner
Pelut/Grenache
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+?
Clos Perdus
update
January & April 2009
I popped in to see Hugo and Paul in their well-chilled cellar in
Peyriac in Jan. and tasted a few more wines on their stand at
the Fenouillèdes wine show, in
Tautavel in April. Latest news is the purchase of some "very old"
Grenache Gris vines between Mas Las Frédas and Maury,
to boost their white wine range; something I'm seeing more and more
of generally, with increasingly impressive results.
2008
Grenache Gris (off the lees) - yeasty intensity v crisp mineral
bite.
2008
Grenache Gris (older vines) - a bit more barrel adds nice roundness
and texture v orange peel zestiness.
2007 Prioundo Corbières (mostly
Grenache + Cinsault, from tank
but final blend about to be bottled) - really perfumed and peppery
with liquorice notes; fresh then fatter palate, very nice style.
87+
2007 L'Extreme
(mostly
Lladoner
Pelut
+
Syrah
from Mas Fred, nearly finished sample) - smokier and richer black fruits
and spice; lively bite and length v light coconut oak texture. Paul
wasn't "entirely happy" with this blend and might tweak
it, but it's still v. promising though.
88+
2007
Mire la Mer
(Mourvèdre
Carignan Grenache)
– dense
smoky black olive, berry and cassis; dry and firm mouth-feel v lovely
fruit, power and well-balanced tasty finish.
89+
2007 Cuvée 51
Corbières (mostly Peyriac:
50%
Carignan
+ 35%
Grenache
+ Mourvèdre,
14% alc.)
- quite rich and medium concentrated with lively floral and dark fruit and
light chocolate backdrop.
87+
2008
Lladoner
Pelut
(from tank) - tangy cassis v spicy v ripe
dark fruit, dry rounded texture.
2007 Le
Rosé
(mostly
Mourvèdre
13.5%)
- deep orange colour, chunky and juicy with ripe raspberry fruit turning
creamier, weighty v dry finish. Nice style.
87
2008
Cinsault
- floral and plummy.
2008
Mourvèdre
- floral v black olive.
2008 Le
Blanc
- nice leesy edges v citrus and mineral bite; fresh and dry turning more
interesting on the finish.
85
2008 L'Extreme
blanc
- fatter and more exotic, again nice yeast-lees and mineral bite v apricot
notes.
87
2008 Le Rouge (Grenache)
- very white peppery and explosive berry fruit; ripe v dry mouth-feel,
attractive style.
87
2010
UPDATE:
Paul was manning a stand at the enigmatically named "Salon du X" - it's
not that much of a mystery, actually, a tasting organised by agent
Xavier Peyrot des Gachons with a dozen
Languedoc & Roussillon winegrowers present (there were originally 10, I
think) hence the X - in April at Domaine
Gayda's impressive
winery & restaurant complex between Limoux and Castelnaudary.
2009
Le
Rosé
(90%
Mourvèdre)
- wild and herby edges vs creamier red fruits; tight and quite lean
mouth-feel vs a bit of weight and roundness.
85+
2006
Mire la Mer
Corbières
(70% Mourvèdre
etc.
14% alc.)
– chocolate/coconut oak
notes vs rich and smoky backdrop, quite toasty yet layered with ripe dark
fruit and spices; attractive full rounded finish, tasty and well balanced
in the end.
88-90
2007 L'Extreme
vin de pays Côtes Catalanes
(mostly
Lladoner
Pelut/Grenache
+
Syrah)
- juicy black cherry, lush with "sweet" liquorice vs spicy undertones;
quite soft tannins and finish vs 14% weight.
87+
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.
 Domaine de la
Pertuisane
Englishman Richard Case makes
rich, powerful and concentrated reds sourced mostly from low
yielding, old-vine Grenache and Carignan, which are labelled as Vins de
Pays des Côtes Catalanes
(by choice) as they don't really fit into the "Roussillon Villages"
appellation box. Meaning they either don't contain any or the "required" amount of Syrah:
actually,
only Le Nain Violet has a bit of Syrah in it. Richard and wife Sarah now have
more than 5 ha (12.5 acres) found on very steep schist slopes around the village of Maury,
where they settled a few years ago.
Richard is already making special labels for one of his US importers
(especially white wines: see notes below) and has recently gone
into partnership, as "project manager" with a Grenache-loving American
winemaker (Dave Phinney of Napa's Orin Swift, particularly well-known for
his cultish "The Prisoner" label), who has invested in a staggering 80 ha of vineyard
parcels in the area and a bold new high-tech winery up the hill from the
village, which will also become home to Domaine Pertuisane (more on that
here). Richard now sells most of his wine ("99%") in
the US market, hence why I've indicated prices in dollars. These wines -
bottled and cask samples - were tasted in situ in spring 2009.
2007 Cuvée Cuthbert "Fin Amour"
(Carignan
blanc & Grenache gris
14%) - barrel-fermented with wild yeasts 10 months total in
third-fill Burgundy casks, no malo-lactic fermentation. Lightly toasty
and rounded vs tangy yeast-lees and hazelnut edges; nice dry, crisp and
fresh mouthfeel with fair power vs quite elegant mineral length;
attractive white Rhone style. Importer: Kimberley Jones & David
Shiverick, stockists include Backroom Wines in California. $50
87+
2007 Clos Thalès Foun del Bosc
(100%
Grenache gris)
- a touch more exotic and bigger yet still has that tangy mineral twist,
spicier and weightier too with crisp dry finish and light lees
intensity; a tad more oak spice and texture but it's clean and fresh
(also no malo-lactic). $50 87+
2005 Le Nain Violet (Grenache Syrah Carignan
15%) - smoky lightly toasty oak (no new wood) layered with concentrated
juicy fruit, spicy vs "sweet" profile with rounded tannins yet still
firmly structured; actually not so big in the end and beginning to open
up nicely. $16-18 87+
2005 Vieilles Vignes (100% Grenache
15%, 50% in new oak) - smoky and turning savoury / leather notes vs
enticing ripe liquorice, chunky fruit and tannins with dark tasty
concentrated finish; again shows good balance and palate weight vs that
quite high alcohol, attractive grip and bitter twist to finish. $30-35
90+
2005
Domaine de la
Pertuisane (Grenache + 30%
Carignan, all new barriques) - again lush
and concentrated showing more chocolate spice yet attractive ripe vs
savoury profile; solid mouthfeel although rounded tannins, dark
chocolate twist vs liquorice fruit vs meaty maturing tones; big but
well-done needing 2-3 years to express itself fully. $50
92+
2007 Carignan (unblended) - lovely violet blueberry cassis and cherry
with a very lightly smoky backdrop; intense and concentrated vs lush tasty
palate, power vs freshness. Yum. 89+
2007 Grenache (unblended) - sumptuous ripe black fruits with savoury
tones, peppery too vs liquorice "sweetness"; nice tannins,
concentration and weight.
50-50 blend of above two - works well, strangely tastes oakier than
either two on their own but still plenty of fruit and depth.
2008 Grenache (clay-limestone soils) - juicier and richer fruit
in a certain way, 18% alc.
unblended but you don't really notice it!
2008 young Grenache - lovely "sweet" dark cherry (actually bone dry),
juicy vs dry texture.
2008 Carignan - floral and intense with blueberry and cassis notes vs
darker fruit finish, lush vs much fresher and a tad firmer.
2008 old Grenache - undergoing its malo when tasted so difficult
to say, but
it's certainly concentrated and structured.
And my notes on previous vintages (May 2006,
click here
for more):
2004 Le Nain Violet (Grenache Carignan Syrah)
- closed up and difficult to taste as it had just been bottled: firm yet
elegant and long with attractive underlying fruit and well handled wood
texture. 88-90
2004 La Pertuisane (90% Grenache, Carignan) -
similar story to above: pretty oaky at the moment with fleshy underlying
fruit, very concentrated and powerful with firm grip and oak coating.
However, it is balanced despite all this and 15% alc, thanks to its subtle
mineral freshness and that lovely dark fruit. Needs time.
90-92
12 Rue Auguste Pous, 66460 Maury. Tel: 06 71 45 15 70 / 04 68 59 26 31,
richard@pertuisane.com,
www.pertuisane.com.
 La
Petite Baigneuse
I found the following identical blurb about La Petite Baigneuse (named
after the painting by Ingres perhaps?) on these two on-line retailers' websites:
www.vinnaturel.fr and
cave.gustumo.com, who both list some their wines for €11-€12. So, I guess it
came from the same source i.e. the producer: "Domaine La Petite Baigneuse has
12.5 ha (30 acres) of vineyard lying in one spot on the highest part of the
Maury appellation bordering wild scrubland. Certain plots face different ways
but it's all on the same soil: schist. Philippe and Céline Wies (who are from
Alsace by the way) set up this estate in 2008 aiming to make wines "as naturally
as possible while letting the site express its full potential..." (a bit of a
cliché nowadays but rings true enough looking at the end result, see below). I
also found their contact details (as I appear to have lost their card!) on this
site:
remise2009.free.fr, home of some kind of annual "natural wine" event in
Nimes. Anyway, I tried their wines, some of them unfinished as 2008 is their
first vintage, at the Fenouillèdes wine fair in late April 2009. I'll update
this profile after I go and see them, soon hopefully...
2008 Grain de Soleil white (Macabeu) -
appley "real cider" aromas/flavours with floral honeyed undercurrents; fresh and
crisp bite vs a bit of weight on the finish. 85+
2008 Juste Ciel! white (Grenache gris)
- more mineral and intense in style; quite structured actually, lively and very
long with good depth too. 87+
Plaît-il? rosé - elegant & lightly
creamy red fruity style, again has that lively "mineral" length.
85+
2008 Trinquette red vin de
pays des Côtes Catalanes
(Grenache) - aromatic and floral with
cassis and cherry notes; nice grip and dry texture vs ripe peppery fruit.
87
2008 Les Loustics (Grenache &
Syrah) - juicier style, attractive and
quite straightforward. 80-85
2008 Grand Largue (Lladoner
Pelut
&
Carignan) red
Côtes
du Roussillon - plenty of enticing juicy spicy fruit, quite lush intense and
peppery with solid finish; attractive style.
87+
Route de Lesquerde, 66460 Maury. Tel: 04 68
73 83 25, philippe.wies@orange.fr.
 Domaine 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! (NB see update below below for notes on her 2008 rosé.)
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 demijohns 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
Update spring 2009:
2008 Collioure rosé (Grenache
Syrah) -
nice fruity and actually relatively light / elegant style despite being
13.5%: tight zingy mouthfeel with subtle red fruits lurking underneath.
85+
2007 Sine Nomine Collioure red (Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre Carignan)
- perfumed and spicy with enticing ripe fruit and liquorice; tangy and
dry textured vs powerful yet quite soft, nice now actually.
87
2007 Banyuls blanc (just
bottled) - lightly honeyed with a hint of toasted wood; rounded and oily
palate beginning to turn nutty and not too punchy, closes up a bit so
needs 6 to 12 months to express itself better. €12
2007 Banyuls Rimage - floral
with lots of cassis notes; lively and lush vs crunchy and dry textured,
quite elegant finish. 87+
2000 Banyuls cuvée Joseph Géraud - turning toffee-ish with
roasted coffee notes, sweet raspberries and chocolate too; savoury drier
finish with a bit of kick vs lush coating. €13
89+
2003 Méditerranée ("no barriques and less oxidation") -
complex coffee and stewed raspberry aromas, mature and meaty vs sweet
and pruney then shows some fresher cut; attractive now with its dried
fruit finish. €14 88+
2003 Cuvée du Soleil (3 years in demijohns) - deep
amber / golden brown colour, lovely pecan nut and toffee aromas /
flavours; intricate nutty and tangy vs rich and toasted, dried apricots
and orange peel vs honey on toast, very long and seductive.
92-94
2005 Muscat Vendanges Tardives vin de pays d'Oc (picked from mid
Oct. into Nov.) - oxidised, super honeyed and raisiny vs nutty and
"straw" notes too; perfumed lush fruit with quince tones and lightly
grainy texture, sweet yet not too heavy. Different.
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.
 Olivier 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.
 Domaine
Pouderoux
Catherine and Robert Pouderoux
(pictured) 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 latter village and Latour-de-France, about
10 km southeast, planted mostly with red grapes - Grenache
for AOC Maury, the latter plus Syrah, Carignan
and Mourvèdre for CdRV - and one parcel of
white
Grenache. Robert took us out for a drive
up above Maury (taking the Cucugnan road), where you get a great view of the whole
appellation and very much beyond: buttressed between the Corbières hills and
a loosely parallel coupled ridge that form the valley here. This particular spot is
"too exposed" (it hit 35°C = 95+F that
4th Sept. 2006 day by the way) according to Robert; his vineyard is over the other
side, where there's some 100+ year-old Grenache. Very dry looking, 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
Update spring/summer 2009: a long
overdue visit had me tasting all around Robert
Pouderoux's
cellar and most of his
2008s from vat or barrel, as well as more or less all the latest vintages
of their range.
2008
Grenache
gris
&
Grenache blanc
(40 years old at 300m altitude) - exotic apricot, peach and spices; quite rich and
concentrated vs mineral / salty twist, subtle coconut oak spice and
texture with nice lively finish. 88+
2008
Grenache blanc
& Macabeu (50 years old, same spot) -
more citrus and floral notes with gummy lees too, intense and fresh vs
delicious juicy texture. 88+
Robert will blend both of these into one white wine.
2008 Grenache - gorgeous vibrant "sweet"
and spicy black fruits; dry yet
attractively textured with juicy vs firm finish. He's going to do a 100%
Grenache cuvée this vintage.
2008 Mourvèdre
- peppery and powerful with gripping although fine tannins,
punchy and structured vs ripe and rounded.
2008
Carignan - violets, blueberries and black
cherries; refreshing and intense wine, very promising.
2008 Syrah - more closed up and has taken up more
wood at this stage, very firm framework vs spicy and "sweet" fruit.
2007 Roc de Plane vin
de pays des Côtes Catalanes white (13.5%) - lively citrus and orange
peel vs exotic fruit and yeast-lees bite; a touch of dry salty mineral
texture vs oily weight and exotic fruit, nice balance and style.
87+
2006 Terre Brune Côtes du Roussillon Villages (mostly
Grenache plus Mourvèdre
Syrah 14.5%) - not very revealing at that moment: "sweet & savoury"
in style with rich and chunky vs tight dry mouthfeel, a bit of grainy wood
lingers on its structured finish. Not showing brilliantly although the
building blocks are in place...
2005 Latour de Grés Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50%
Carignan
plus Mourvèdre Syrah 14.5%) - a bit
baked/oxidised (already open); quite big liquorice vs savoury flavours,
solid long finish with leather and ripe "tar" notes.
2004
La Mouriane Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah from
north-facing "colder" soils) - more savoury still with very firm framework,
attractive leather tones vs lush and peppery fruit vs mouth-coating tannins.
Wow. 90+
2007 Maury vendange ("sur
grains," early bottled "vintage" style) - aromatic
dark cherries and cassis with leather and tobacco edges; sweet vs firm
mouthfeel showing attractive balance of fruit, tannin, alcohol and
residual sugar. 88+
2004 Maury mise tardive ("late bottled" with 2 years in barrel
then 2 in bottle before release) - more baked and "oxidative" in style
showing cooked fruit, more complex and peppery too; dry vs sweet vs
meaty palate, touch more powerful on the finish.
89
Maury Hors d'Age (longer cask ageing, blend of 12 to 15 year-old
wines) - browner colour and more liqueur like in style, much more toffee
and pecan nut nose / flavours; spicy, firm and sweet in the mouth,
complex and long. 92+
Maury Grande Réserve (less cask ageing than above but some left
in demijohns outside) - more oxidised on the nose with lots of toffee
and cooked raspberry; again firm and punchy mouthfeel with leather
tones, grippy vs sweet texture. Interesting style for sure although I
prefer the previous one. 89
2
Rue Emile Zola, 66460
Maury.
Tel: 04
68 57 22 02,
domainepouderoux@wanadoo.fr /
www.domainepouderoux.fr.
 La 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. Summer 2009: Vincent Legrand
is no longer at La Préceptorie, update to follow...
 Domaine Puig-Parahÿ
It's true that some European wine estates like to brag about how long
they've been messing around in vineyards, but I've not come across (m)any who
claim to have records going back to 1446! Latest generation is the charming
Georges Puig (picture), who's been running the show here since 1994. The estate
takes in lightly elevated (sloping up to 200-250m altitude) vines old and new
all around Passa in particular spots called Fort Saint-Pierre, Sant Lluc and
nearby Mas de Miserys. The Puig-Parahÿ family has the most extraordinary
collection of old Rivesaltes VDN wines imaginable - as you'll see from the 1945
below, although the "catalogue" apparently goes back into the 19th Century. Some
in bottle, some in vat and some still in cask, as I discovered on a delightful
little tour (of history too it felt like, especially as you get the impression
Georges' family owns, or used to own, most of the village). Georges has good
distribution in the US (Village Wine Imports NYC and also Virginia, Colorado and
California: email him for details), UK (Richards Walford and Rare Wine), Tokyo
(the Vine) and Germany. I was lucky enough to taste these wines with him at his
place in December 2009:
2008 Sant-Lluc del Puig white vin de pays d'Oc (Macabeu, Grenache
blanc, Grenache
gris 13.5%) - fresh
pear fruit with oily zesty edges; juicy and crisp vs rounded with a bit of
weight. Nice style. $10-$15 in the US. 85
2002 Sant-Lluc del Puig white - oxidising nose with oily mineral
notes in a mature Riesling way; oily nutty palate still showing good acidity
keeping it alive, wacky but good. 87
2008 rosé - attractive raspberry/strawberry
fruit with light lees notes; creamy mouthfeel vs juicy and crisp, nice texture,
weight and fruit then refreshing bite. $10-$15 85+
2005 Georges Syrah vin
de pays Côtes Catalanes (13.5%) - turning meaty and smoky
with peppery dark fruit hints; quite rich with ripe liquorice vs firm coating of
tannins vs nice weight, finishing with "sweet" vs meaty flavours. More
old-fashioned style but nice with it. $13-$15 85-87
2006 Georges Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache,
Carignan, Syrah)
- similarly smoky peppery nose although shows more liquorice and "Grenache" style;
chunky grippy yet lush mouthfeel, the tannins are a tad rustic and dry but it's
an appealing soupy mouthful of dark fruit too. 87
2007 Georges Côtes du Roussillon - the nose is a touch closed but
this is fruitier and spicier than the 06; livelier and more upfront blackberry
and damson fruit on the palate, juicy and rich vs attractive grip and spice.
Needs 6 months to open up. 88+
2005 Rivesaltes red Vin Doux Naturel (90% Grenache
+ Syrah) - beginning to turn oxidised, nutty and
Porty with dried cherries and liquorice; quite concentrated and extracted but
does have nice balance of lush fruit, dry tannins and alcohol; good finish,
tightening up with quite complex, chunky fruit. 87-89
1993 Rivesaltes red (in vat) - turning meaty with touches of
Madeira-type complexity, tobacco and cough mixture too; tangy pecan nut palate
with dry vs sweet texture, long intricate finish again showing good balance of
delicious tasty old vs lively dried fruits. 90
1981 Rivesaltes red (in cask still!) - treacle tart aromas with
volatile spicy minty notes; very intense pecans and dried raspberries, appealing
bitter twist vs lush mouthfeel then savoury finish. Wow.
90-92
1971 Rivesaltes red - treacle and molasses notes with dark
brown/orange tinges, roast walnuts and wood resin too, a tad dusty perhaps (or
was that the glass?); rich and sweet vs meaty oxidised, long and unusual
flavours, again cough mixture with dried spice undertones. Odd but good!
92+?
1945 Rivesaltes red - extraordinary nose, old oxidised and meaty
vs lovely pecan nut and prunes; mouth-filling tasty and tangy flavours, the
alcohol's perhaps a tad fiery now but it has an amazing thick palate-coating;
doesn't taste as old as this with long liquorice, "tar" and roast chestnut
finish. 95+
Le Fort Saint-Pierre, 66300 Passa.
Mobile: 06 14 55 71 71, g.puigparahy@free.fr,
www.puig-parahy.fr.
Vins
Pujol -
Domaine La Rourède
Certified for
organic viticulture
in 2000 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 and west of Argeles. 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 in Jan 2006.
2003 Côtes du Roussillon tradition (Grenache,
Carignan, 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
Bought this
bottle in a supermarket in July 2009:
2006 Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - nice in an old-fashioned,
rustic, leathery and slightly volatile way;
nevertheless, it's quite lush with rounded tannins and peppery vs savoury
finish. About €4. 85
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
 Domaine 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),
larectorie@wanadoo.fr,
www.la-rectorie.com.
 Château
de Rey
Cathy and Philippe Sisqueille have 40 hectares (100 acres) of vines on
low-lying land, although undulating and stoney, by the coast found to
the east of Perpignan. The family's been at it for four generations, and
Cathy and Philippe have injected a bit of contemporary style into the
estate on the winemaking, packaging and wine tourism fronts, producing
some very enjoyable wines. For more info on prices, where to buy them
and their three spacious on-site holiday gites: see website below. I
tried the following, served up by Cathy,
at the enigmatically named "Salon du X" - it's not that much of a
mystery, actually, a tasting organised by their agent
Xavier Peyrot des Gachons with a dozen
Languedoc & Roussillon winegrowers present (there were originally 10, I
think) hence the X - in April 2010 at Domaine
Gayda's impressive
winery & restaurant complex between Limoux and Castelnaudary.
2009 Sisquò white (Grenache blanc,
Roussanne, Macabeu) - citrusy and
grapey aromas, turning more honeyed and rounded on the palate vs zesty
mineral bite. 85+
2009 Galets Roulés white (Grenache blanc,
Roussanne, Macabeu
from different sites) - lightly toasty yet creamy with nice aniseed
notes too; quite rich vs crisp and nutty, a bit of weight vs freshness.
87+
2009 Sisquò rosé (Syrah, Grenache,
Carignan) - lovely
raspberry fruit, creamy and quite full vs crisp and lively finish.
85+
2009 Galets Roulés rosé
(Syrah,
Carignan, Grenache barrel-fermented) - hints of spicy wood, although it does add rounded
texture and weight with underlying creamy fruit. Not for everyone but
would work with food. 85+
2008 Sisquò red (Syrah,
Carignan, Grenache)
- delicious "sweet" perfumed fruit, floral with spicy cherry; crunchy
lively palate yet fairly soft mouth-feel vs attractive "chalky"
tannins. 87
2007 Galets Roulés red (Carignan, Syrah,
Grenache) - more closed up and grainy textured vs
dark and spicy fruit; solid firm tight finish still with nice oomph.
Needs a year or so to express itself. 87+
Mas Sisqueille, Route de Saint-Nazaire, 66140
Canet en Roussillon. Tel: 04 68 73
86 27,
www.chateauderey.com.
 Domaine
Rivaton
Frédéric Rivaton arrived as a young pioneer on the "final frontier"
(groan) of the northern Roussillon about five years ago (his first
vintage was 2004 I think), and now has 12 ha (30 acres) scattered around
the old old "border" village of Latour de France (west of Estagel,
southeast of Maury: there's
some
history there...). He says he likes to work as "naturally" as
possible (widely used nowadays without much official definition,
although pretty obvious for those who mean it) with a lot of fussy work
in the vineyard especially and only using treatments sanctioned by
organic viticulture, e.g. sulphur and copper based "natural" chemicals
(there I go again with the "). The two reds below and Frédéric's very
lively old-Carignan grape juice ("...I can't make wine out of it..."
paraphrasing) were tasted at the 2009 Fenouillèdes wine fair in Tautavel:
2005 Vieilles Vignes (Carignan Grenache
"etc.") - smoky "inky" nose, quite rustic but it's lush with wild fruit
flavours and tobacco notes, nice soft spicy fruit and texture with
mature supple finish. 87+
2006 Gribouille Côtes du Roussillon Villages "Latour de France" (Carignan
Grenache
Syrah)
- more structured and concentrated with liquorice, tobacco and toffee
apple; spice and leather notes too, nice now actually although should
improve over the next year or so. 87-89
Carignan 1930 jus de raisin - very
nice and refreshing with aromatic sweet vs tart finish. Different!
And this is what I said previously about his wines (the May 2006
wine fair):
2004 Gribouille Latour de France CdRV - (2nd bottle; the one
in the blind tasting was bottled too soon and suffered from reductive
taint) nice smoky tar and leather tones, rich and ripe v firm and tight,
attractive style. 90
2005 Latour de France CdRV ("probably": cask sample) - smoky
leather tinged with black cherries, rustic and lush with solid yet elegant
finish. 90
And back in January 2005, my first (wine)
visit to the area:
2004 Domaine Rivaton (unnamed vat sample) - quite
chunky fruit and structure, tight long finish, shows promise.
89
66720 Latour de France. Tel: 04 68
51 76 08, v-frivaton@tele2.fr,
rivaton.vinsnaturels.fr.
 Domaine Rossignol
Pascal Rossignol (which means nightingale,
pic.)
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
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
Update 2009/2010
I went to see Pascal and Fabienne in mid December 09 to catch up and
taste their latest releases. Having started down the organic pathway a
few years ago, 2009 is their first certified organic vintage.
2008 Muscat sec vin de pays -
elegant grapey Muscat aromas with honeysuckle and aniseed too; fuller
and oilier on the palate with nutty edges, nice juicy crisp finish; easy
tasty dry white. 80-85
2008 Schistes Côtes du Roussillon (mostly Syrah
+ Grenache
& Carignan
from their higher altitude vineyard near Oms, 14%) - attractive pure
spicy fruit showing lots of black cherry and white pepper; enticing
fruity Syrah style with a bit of grip and depth, refreshing bite on the
finish too. 87
2007 Bérénice Côtes du Roussillon les Aspres (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan)
- a touch estery/banana-ish on the nose with grainy oak tones, quite
concentrated though showing good depth; it hasn't really come together
yet although has rounded tannins and attractive finish. Leave it for
6-12 months to mellow out. 87+
2006 Graal Côtes du Roussillon (Mourvèdre
+ Carignan
& Syrah) - quite aromatic cherry and
black olive on the nose; fairly oaky palate yet with dense fruit and
gripping tannins, big mouthful but well-handled and promising too.
89+
2009 Muscat de Noel - deliciously
fresh and Muscat-y, luscious and sweet vs citrus peel bite and tang. Try
with blue cheeses. 85
2004 Rivesaltes Ambré - turning walnut-ty and spicy with its
Madeira-like undertones; tangy vs rich and oily, intricate and cheesy
then a bit of oomph to finish; needs a few years to come together
although it is nice now actually. 87-89
2007 Rivesaltes Grenat (Grenache
17%) - quite youthful and closed up (it was rather cold as well);
vibrant black cherry fruit in the mouth, fairly lush then firm and
punchy. A bit young at the moment but attractive style.
85+
Route 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
Sophie set up their domaine 6 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.
 Updates: the two
reds below were tasted at the 2008 Millésime Bio wine show (Perpignan):
2005
Barbacane (100% Grenache) - smoky and rich
style, a tad of awkward background wood that jars a little? Ripe v firm finish.
2006 Têt Pourpre, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Carignan Grenache)
- lush spicy fruit set on chunky rounded tannins, very tight and lively finish.
89-91
October 2008 - I called in at Jérôme's cellar to
see what was new: they now have 13 ha of vineyards after buying and leasing a few more
parcels on the slopes just outside Pézilla.
2007 Frivole 'light red' (Grenache Syrah)
- slightly fruity liquorice v crunchy black cherry, a bit of dry
texture; neither one thing nor the other really:
80+. The 2008 from vat had nicer fruit.
2006 Barbacane (Grenache 13%) -
delicious Grenache fruit showing liquorice, spice and turning slightly
tobacco-ish; good depth v grip and length, well-balanced and attractive.
89+
2006 Têt Pourpre Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan Syrah Grenache
13.5%) - a touch of subtle spicy oak on the nose and palate, but this has
lots of lovely black fruits with savoury edges; solid structured finish,
needs 6 to 12 months to open up more. 90-92
2006 Ganaxe Rivesaltes Grenat (Grenache
muté sur grains)
- enticing dark fruit with peppery and meaty edges; nice balance of
sweetness, crunchy fruit and dry tannins. 88-90
7
Rue du Portal d’Amont, 66370
Pézilla-la-Rivière.
Tel:
04 68 92 46
59, mobile: 06 98 17 22 81;
rouaud.vigneron.66@orange.fr.
Domaine du Mas Rous
Mas Rous stretches across 38 hectares (95 acres) in a beautiful spot snuggling
up to the Albères
hills along the border with Spain, roughly between Le Boulou and Collioure.
Tender loving care of vines and winemaking is provided by José Pujol, aided by
his wife, who took over this family-owned estate some thirty years ago. I tasted
these three wines at
this year's Vinisud wine show
(Montpellier, Feb. 2008); more stuff to follow when I get round to visiting
them.
2006
Tradition
Côtes du Roussillon
(Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre Grenache
13.5%) - lovely liquorice and black cherry fruit, peppery and lively mouth-feel
set on a backdrop of chunky tannins. 87+
2003 Cuvée Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah
Mourvèdre Carignan 13%) - nice mature
leather-tinged fruit with 'sweet' v savoury edges; ripe and rounded palate v
smoky meaty tones, well-balanced dry grip v fullness to finish.
89
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
(13.5%) - not bad actually (considering Cabernet isn't always very successful in
this region): a bit stalky to start yet becomes more savoury and cassis in
flavour, quite concentrated too. 87
Mas Rous, 66740
Montesquieu des Albères. Tel: 04 68 89 64 91.
Domaine Rousselin
Laurence and Pascal Rousselin are based in the pretty hilltop village of
Lesquerde, one of the so-called "Village Villages" appellations in the
northern Roussillon found a few km southwest of Maury. I tasted these
wines with Laurence at the 2009 Fenouillèdes wine fair in Tautavel:
2008 Grenache - very Grenache with
lots of liquorice and white pepper.
2008 Syrah - rich and extracted black
cherry fruit with spicy finish.
2008 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde (Syrah Carignan Grenache)
- nice mix of lush, ripe, toffee-ish fruit and peppery mineral notes
underneath; firm and structured vs very fruity.
89
2006 Syrah - developing smoky notes vs
quite oaky, rich and structured Rhoney style, still lively although
beginning to mature nicely. 87
2007 CdRV Lesquerde - lovely fruit, rounded vs firm bite, turning
savoury with dark fruit / chocolate on the finish. €13
88+
104 Route départementale 19, 66220 Lesquerde.
Tel: 06 12 51 64 58 / 04 68 59 17 12,
domainerousselin@yahoo.fr. |
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Other Roussillon
/ Catalan stuff:
Wine words
Millésime Bio
Roussillon:
Maury
Saint-Bacchus
Top reds over €10
Wines of
the moment
Fenouillèdes
wine fair
Finding
Fenouillèdes
country
Vinisud
Millésime Bio
Mini-profiles
2005:
Castillo Perelada
Ch.
Planères
Dom
Hylari
Dom
Mas Blanc
Cave
Terrats
Fruité Catalan
The Roussillon
Present & future
A mini-thesis...
Cava guide
Also worth a look:
Winery snapshots
(7
pages)
Winery
snapshots:
Languedoc
(6
pages)
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