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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/Clos/Château
Saint Georges,
Saint-Roch,
Sarda Malet,
Schistes,
Serre,
Serrelongue,
Serre Romani,
Singla,
Soulanes,
Terres Mallyce,
Terre Rousse,
Tour Vieille,
Traginer,
Treloar,
Trois Orris,
Valmy,
Vaquer,
Vénus, Vinci.
The rest: Roussillon 1: A to C
Roussillon 2: D to L Roussillon 3: M to R
 Clos
Saint Georges
Claude and Dominique
Ortal's extensive 60 hectare (150 acre) estate lies tucked away in the open
rolling countryside between the villages of Trouillas and Pollestres (south of
Perpignan), not far from Château
La Casenove.
The initial, slightly alarming 'alterations' to the landscape, caused by nearby
work on the new Perpignan to Barcelona TGV line, have now grown back and settled
in while providing Saint Georges with a new road, signpost and large roundabout
to conveniently slow people down so they notice it!
Saint Georges makes quite a big range of different local styles - including
rosé, vins de pays varietals, traditional fortified Muscat and Rivesaltes - out
of which their cru red Les Aspres cuvée is a real highlight (see below),
which they don't make very much of. This Roussillon sub-appellation has its
critics and supporters (click here or
browse through other estates in this area on these Roussillon pages for more on
that): the Ortals are vociferously in the latter camp and it shows in their
wines. I talked to and tasted with Claude at this year's Vinisud wine show
(Montpellier, Feb. 2008), this is what he said: "We talked about it (Les Aspres)
and did research for ten years parcel by parcel. Renou (the former head of
France's AOC regulatory watchdog who sadly died a couple of years ago) thought
it was the only AOC that fitted his new ideas on appellations. Things might
change as we'd felt left out of the whole cru thing. It's a shame some
aren't supporting it."
2003 Cuvée de Pierre Côtes du Roussillon
Les Aspres (2/3
Syrah 1/3 Grenache) -
attractive mix of rustic and inky fruit v lush and vibrant flavours; nice grip
of textured tannins layered with maturing fruit richness.
89+
2005 Cuvée de Pierre Côtes du Roussillon
Les Aspres (2/3
Syrah 1/3 Grenache) -
richer and riper fruit than the 03, less smoky and developed too with more minty
spicy characters; very nice wine, shows promise. 90+
Clos Saint Georges, 66300
Trouillas. Tel: 04
68 21 61 46, clortal@wanadoo.fr,
www.clos-saint-georges.com.
 Château 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 sixth Fenouillèdes
Wine Fair, and here (2009
St-Bacchus awards) including 2007
Kerbuccio.
Château Saint-Roch, 66460
Maury.
Tel: 04 68 29 07 20,
www.chateau-saint-roch.fr,
chateausaintroch@aol.com.
 Domaine 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
News update 2009: Le Sarda red and white are now available at
independent merchants
Lea & Sandeman (4 shops in southwest and west London) for £8.95.
Chemin de
Sainte Barbe, 66000 Perpignan. Tel: 04 68 56
72 38;
suzymalet@wanadoo.fr,
www.sarda-malet.com.
 Domaine des Schistes
Domaine des Schistes
(there is indeed quite a bit of schist in their vineyards), owned
and run by Jacques and
son Mickaël Sire, is made up of assorted parcels
lying along the Corbières foothills (on the Roussillon/Fenouilledes side) between
the villages of Estagel (where the winery
is), Maury and Tautavel. Back in late November 2008, Jacques took me for a
spin around some of them (not recommended in your average family saloon),
which gives you a good feel for their differing
terroirs as the land undulates up and
down & side to side. We stood on the top of a rocky/schisty ridge in one
vineyard, or perhaps the line between two as, although planted with more
or less the same varieties on both sides, that sloping variation in aspect
can mean a few days or a week's difference in picking in this peaceful raw
spot. We ended up at Mas de las Fredas, which nestles behind Maury and Tautavel (marked off the D117), where Mickaël lives and where
they have two holiday gîtes constructed inside a chunky 14th-Century farmhouse (next door to Domaine des Soulanes
actually – see below). There’s also a small barrel cellar underneath
containing some of their ageing Vin Doux Naturel styles, such as Rivesaltes Solera or Rancio Sec
(see notes below).
2007 Les Terrasses Blanches (mostly Grenache
blanc 13.5%) - floral and peachy with light toast and creaminess,
nice mineral character running underneath its otherwise quite chunky and
powerful mouth-feel; well-handled subtle oak / yeast-lees texture with
hazelnut, pear and apricot flavours on the finish, plus a fresh aniseed
twist. 85-87
2007 Tradition Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan
Grenache Syrah 14.5%) - spicy non-oaked style showing fragrant
cassis, blueberry and black cherry; nice liquorice v concentrated cassis
richness, peppery with dry tannins and dark chocolate twist; closes up a
bit yet it's quite elegant despite the obvious power.
87-89
2006 Les Terrasses Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel
(Syrah Carignan
Grenache 14%) - a bit cold to start so that toasted oak character
comes out first, but it opened up showing more black cherry aroma/flavour
v dry grip and coating v dark fruit and coffee. Needs a couple of years,
again quite elegant despite its weight and gripping tannins.
89-91
2005 La Coumeille Côtes du Roussillon Villages (80%
Syrah 14.5%) - developing savoury nose v
spicy dark cherries; very concentrated and robust although opening up and
becoming rounded, lush liquorice v grip and bite on its powerful finish,
along with well-integrated chocolate-oak tinged texture.
90-92
2006 La Coumeille - closed unrevealing nose; light
chocolate oak notes v rich and concentrated, perhaps has more depth than
the 05 with big tannins v attractive purity of fruit; stonking finish,
chunky and grippy v lush texture. Needs 2+ years to open up, very
promising. 92
1998 Tradition (13.5%) - savoury and mature nose with minty
herbal undertones; fig, liquorice and leather on a dry v maturing finish.
Nice now. 89
2006 Maury (muté sur grain
16%) - beginning to develop savoury leather notes underneath a lush, ripe
fruit mouthful; pretty grippy and powerful at the moment leading to
a hardly sweet finish, needs a little time to come together fully.
89+
Rivesaltes Solera (mostly Grenache gris
16%) - tawny orangey colour, complex oxidised nutty caramel notes; toasted
pecan richness v freshness and bite, delicious classic style.
90-92
1995 Muscat de Rivesaltes (16%) - yes,
that vintage is correct! Caramelised orange peel and brown sugar
aromas/flavours, rich and nutty yet still grapey with nice cut. Weirdly
alive, odd but I like it. 89+
Rancio sec - very nutty, tangy and lively with old oxidised
complexity; very dry and crisp with super dried walnut flavours, great
length and panache. Wow. Not for everyone but really different: try with
anchovies or mature chesses.
2010 UPDATE:
Jacques had the following new vintages up for
tasting
at the enigmatically named "Salon du X" - it's not that much of a
mystery, actually, a tasting organised by his agent
Xavier Peyrot des Gachons with a dozen
Languedoc & Roussillon winegrowers present (there were originally 10, I
think) hence the X - back in April at Domaine
Gayda's impressive
winery & restaurant complex between Limoux and Castelnaudary.
2008
Les Terrasses Blanches white - honeyed
vs spicy toasty notes; rounded, weighty and oily vs crisp bite.
85+
2008 Les Terrasses red -
attractive "sweet" vs crunchy fruit; quite intense cassis and blueberry
turning richer and darker on the finish, fragrant and herby too vs power
and grip. 87-89
2006 La Coumeille red - smoky
chocolate oaky nose; meaty and very firm with tight powerful length,
underlying dark lush fruit then closes up. Needs time still.
89-91
Click here for
more Schistes wines (6th Fenouillèdes wine fair).
1
Avenue Jean Lurçat, 66310 Estagel. Tel: 04 68 29 11 25 /
06 89 29 38 43; sire-schistes@wanadoo.fr,
www.domaine-des-schistes.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.
 Domaine
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 6th Fenouillèdes
Wine Fair.
Spring/summer
2009 update: yes, he
does now
agree about the oak! I tasted Julien's latest vintages in Tautavel in late
April at the much-mentioned Fenouillèdes wine bash (I have also tasted
with him in his cellar and seen some of his vines, by the way!),
including a brand new white wine as, well, the name says it all really
("feel like a white").
2008 Envie de Blanc (Carignan blanc/Grenache
gris) -
toasted honey and spice vs exotic and floral fruit; dry mineral finish
vs creamy texture. 85-87
2007
Saveur de Vigne (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre)
- rich spicy fruit underpinned by softer liquorice notes; light coconut
texture but plenty of dark fruit vs dry yet soft-ish tannins.
88+
149 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 66460
Maury.
Tel: 04 68 59 02 17, julienf66@aol.com;
www.serrelongue.com.
 Clos Serre
Romani
Young couple
Laurent and Cylia Pratx joined the seemingly never-ending stream of
love-struck newcomers in September 2007 (and long may it continue, I
hope), by finding and buying up a few parcels of old vineyards scattered
around the now booming village of Maury; the name of one of them was
taken to christen their whole 6 ha domaine (15 acres). Laurent's family
have been winegrowers "since time immemorial," as it says in the blurb;
so they've returned to their roots, type-thing (that surname is
suspiciously Catalan-looking), after working for a while in wine in the
Rhone Valley. I
tasted the following wines (their first vintage so not all finished
examples obviously) with
Laurent
at the
Fenouillèdes wine
fair, late April 2009 in Tautavel. They're priced at €7, €10 and €12
respectively. Another one on the "must-see next time in Maury" list...
2008 Providence white (Grenache
gris/Grenache
blanc/Macabeu)
- floral grapey lively and aromatic then more exotic juicy and yeast-leesy;
mineral bite vs fair weight and length too. 87
2008 Providence red (Grenache)
- lovely pure fruity style with liquorice, violets, pepper and blackberry;
turning meatier on the finish with leather tones too.
87
2008 Schistes (Grenache
from 3 sites + hint of
Carignan) -
livelier and richer showing delicious spice and violets; quite
concentrated with "chalky" textured tannins, energetic tasty finish. Yum.
89+
2008 Intuition red (the blend might change each year) - something more mineral
about it
with wild herb notes, bags of blackberry and spice; punchy yet lush vs
crunchy and grippy, intense then softens on the finish. Wow.
90-92
8 Rue Ludovic Ville,
66600 Rivesaltes. Tel/Fax: 04 68 50 12 36,
laurent@serre-romani.fr,
www.serre-romani.fr (under construction when I last had a look, Sept. 09).
Domaine 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 Opoul/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 (not anymore, actually: see March 2010 update
below). 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."
(He's since launched a wine at this price, by the way - see below).
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
 Update
October 2008
A second visit to Laurent's cellar 18 months down the line
(where do all those months slip away to?) and an opportunity to try his
rather good 2006s. Not that much has changed on the growing and
winemaking front, apart from the fact that all the grapes are now
spring-cleaned on a sorting table (rather than just in the vineyard)
before being included or rejected. Laurent told me: "I dumped quite a
lot (of fruit) this year (08 vintage)," and that he's not doing any
green-harvesting anymore (removing bunches just before colour-set, which
certain growers don't think has much effect - or sometimes the opposite
as the vine can then over-compensate - especially as some probably do it
too late anyway, just to reduce so-called yields on paper).
Nonetheless, I detected something different about the wines, apart from the
obvious fact that it's a different vintage, the pretty classic 06.
Better balance perhaps and certainly showing more subtle oak influence,
even though "all the wines now go into barriques!" So what do I know,
huh.
2006
La Pinède Côtes
du Roussillon (Grenache
Syrah Carignan
14.5%) - nice ripe liquorice, cherry and
menthol notes on the nose; firm and powerful v spicy and fruity, savoury
undertones too; closes up a bit, but 6 months more in bottle will let it
come out a bit (so to speak). €9
88-90
2006 Passetemps
Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
(Grenache)
- more open and lusher with resiny yet spicy liquorice notes; lively,
quite soft and tasty with dry although rounded tannins and elegant
finish. €9
89
2006
Castell Vell (Syrah) - oakier and more
chocolatey on the nose but shows classic Syrah, black cherry / pepper
hallmarks underneath; attractive dry v chocolate texture with plenty of
pure ripe fruit carrying the palate. €17 90-92?
2006 Arrels ('roots' in Catalan: majority
Grenache
plus Syrah)
- lovely concentration with tasty juicy dark fruits v very grippy and
textured v lush mouth-feel v bite and great length. Aged entirely in new
barriques but it's well-integrated; this one's worth laying down. €50
(!) 92-94?
Update March 2010
The latest news is that Laurent has downsized vineyards-wise and tweaked
his range accordingly. He's no longer sourcing fruit from the Aspres,
where he was actually leasing off a cousin, to focus on his vineyards
near Opoul. So, a couple of names have disappeared while a couple of new
ones have been introduced (as well as a Mourvèdre: see below),
although in terms of varieties and blends overall, it's apparently not
going to make a lot of difference. While I was in the cellar tasting, a
couple of TV journos turned up from the local France3 station, as one of
Laurent's wines - the 2006 Passetemps
- was selected for the Presidential palace cellar in Paris! He's also
planning to refit and extend his cellar with a tasting room in
St-Laurent (where he lives) and move out of the Rivesaltes premises,
perhaps this year or next.
2008 La Matine vin de pays Côtes
Catalanes (majority Syrah
+
Grenache
14%) – gently spicy coconut
notes with layers of black cherry; attractive soft juicy palate vs
lightly chalky tannins and smoky savoury touches, subtle refreshing bite
to finish. 87
2008 Mataro Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (mostly
Mourvèdre
13.5%) - a bit closed up with dark berry and olive tones, a touch
peppery too; ripe with light oak texture and quite broad mouthfeel vs
firm tannins, crunchy fruit and tight quite fine finish.
87-89
2008
La Crinyane Côtes du Roussillon Villages (mostly old
Carignan
15%) - more perfumed and
floral with blueberry notes; tight firm and fresh palate, again quite
fine vs oomph and attractive dry yet subtle tannins.
89+
2008 Bressol CdRV
(mostly
Grenache 15%)
- spicier and oakier, ripe and fat with grainy texture; closes up with
fine tight and rather unrevealing finish. Need to try it again further
down the line.
2008 Castell Vell
CdRV (mostly Syrah
15%) - again the oak is quite
strong vs juicy dark cherry fruit, dry yet elegant bite and length; not
expressing much at the moment, in a way it's lighter yet more powerful
too... 89+?
2006 Passetemps (Grenache) -
smoky/meaty and chunky vs herby edges, nice balance of still firm
framework, concentrated fruit and power with peppery finish.
87-89
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 les Terres de Mallyce
Corinne Soto describes Terres de Mallyce as an "upper Agly Valley
vineyard" in their flier, implying altitude (not surprising around
Rasiguères, a good bit south of Maury over the hill and west of Latour)
and sloping vines, planted in "schist and granite soils."
They're in the process of converting over to fully organic farming,
meaning they already are doing it but have to for a bit longer to be
officially certified organic. Well-done, another one on the way then. I
tried their wines at the, drum roll, Fenouillèdes wine fair in Tautavel
back in late April 2009, which are reasonably priced between €5 and €11
a bottle.
2007 In Extremis white vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (mostly
Macabeu plus
Grenache
gris/Grenache
blanc/Carignan
blanc) - interesting "oxidative" style with deep colour and very
hazelnutty, almost rancio character; nutty tangy then fatter
mouthfeel. 87+
2008 Felicis rosé (Syrah/Carignan/Grenache
vat sample)
- lively gummy red fruity little number, juicy and crisp.
83+
2007 Les Huit Côtes du Roussillon (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah)
- quite vanilla coated with underlying bright vs dark berry fruits; dry
vs juicy spicy texture and finish. 85-87
2007 Pierres de Lune Côtes du Roussillon (95% very old
Carignan/5% Syrah)
- herbal peppery cassis notes; spicy turning to liquorice on the palate
vs firm bite, more structured yet nice "sweet" fruit too.
87-89
2007 Del Amor Côtes du Roussillon (80%
Grenache
+ very old Carignan) - attractive juicy
fruit with spicy vs "sweet" tones; firmer punchier mouthfeel finishing
with lovely peppery liquorice fruit. 89+
2008
Macabeu vendanges tardives (picked 1st
November, 14% and 130g/l residual sugar) - not a finished sample: quite
bubblegummy and yeast-leesy at the moment, turning exotic vs wild herb
undertones; zingy and fresh bite on the finish vs lush honeyed fruit.
Different!
20 bis Rue des Vignes, 66720 Rasiguères.
Tel: 04 68 73 86 37,
corinne.soto@packsurfwifi.com.
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
Update: Serge has actually now sold up
to a Swiss investor/winegrower/maker, whose estate is called
Domaine des
Enfants...
Route
de Cucugnan, 66460
Maury.
Mobile: 06 12 94 10 35,
sergerousse@wanadoo.fr.
 Domaine
La Tour Vieille
An amicable amalgamation of several plots of old family vineyards owned by Christine Campadieu, Vincent Cantié and Jean Baill,
which lie above and around Collioure (where you'll find "the old tower,"
pictured, at the entrance
leading down to the cellar) and Banyuls-sur-mer. LTV has become ever so
slightly cult, in a laidback way echoed by the people behind it. I went
to see Vincent and Jean in seaside Collioure in June 2009 and was treated to a
very comprehensive and enjoyable tasting, hence my notes below. The
estate has been rationalised and reduced in size to 19 hectares (48
acres) in recent times, out of which about 5 ha worth of grapes are sold
to one of the local co-ops. Jean is the more recent member of the
partnership bringing Vermentino,
Mourvèdre
and more Syrah to LTV's varietal fabric. Their wines are well-distributed in the US
(judging by a simple Google search) and
represented by Yapp Bros in the UK.
2008 les Canadells white Collioure (mostly
Grenache
blanc
Grenache gris
Vermentino plus Macabeu
Marsanne 14%) - floral nutty nose with a touch of background oak and
lightly exotic fruit; juicy apricot-tinged palate with quite weighty
and rounded mouthfeel, powerful nutty finish and well-handled oak texture.
€13
87+
2007
les Canadells white Collioure - more honeyed and upfront, developing oily mineral
tones; colourful fruit vs still fresh and quite elegant.
€13 87+
2008 Rosé des Roches Collioure - delicious creamy and red cherry fruity, zesty and
lively vs big ripe fruity palate. €8 87+
2007 La Pinède red Collioure (14.5%) - resiny
fruit with black olive and spicy dark cherries,
turning meaty too vs lively and lush vs powerful finish. €10
90+
2007 Puig Ambeillel Collioure (Mourvèdre/Grenache
15%) - very peppery with rich
black fruit, liquorice and black olive; tasty fruity palate vs savoury
leather notes, powerful yet balanced, very nice and quite fine with attractive bite of tannins.
You don't really notice that alcohol and there's no barrique ageing: who
needs wood when a wine tastes this good! €13 92-94
2007 Puig Oriol Collioure (Grenache/Syrah,
taken from vat) - more herbal and medicinal/spicy vs enticing juicy
liquorice, blackberry/cherry; again has thick but ripe tannins, dry and
quite fine finish; slightly firmer than above but delicious spicy lush
fruit as well. €13 90-92
Mémoire white (5+ years oxidative ageing) - walnut coconut and
Brazils, attractive Sherry style with oily vs crisp and dry palate;
complex and tasty with long salty vs coconut/hazelnut finish. Yum. €15
50cl 92-94
2006 Banyuls "Vendanges" - aromatic dried cherries and cassis,
prunes and leather too; lush vs solid & dry texture, savoury vs sweet,
tasty and long with nice balance. €10 50cl 88-90
2003 Banyuls "Rimage mise tardive" - more oxidation but the barrels
are kept full: more developed and savoury with sweet plummy notes,
liquorice and cough mixture as well; moves on to meaty aftertaste with
more power and grip yet intricate flavours. €15
90-92
Banyuls cuvée Francis Cantié (6 years' ageing in demijohns outside)
- resiny dried and concentrated, complex and rich, toffee raspberry and
nuts; still has a bit of grip and lively poise to finish.
92+
Banyuls "Vin de Méditation" (solera-style) - Madeira-like nutty "gassy" intricate
aromas, very concentrated with pecan nuts and liquorice vs spicy alcohol;
quite dry tannins vs punchy vs treacly caramelised nuts, lots of
interesting flavours and long finish. €50 50cl
94-96
12 Route de Madeloc, 66190 Collioure.
Tel: 04 68 82 44 82,
contact@latourvieille.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-blend 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 older
Traginer vintages (Millésime Bio 2006). 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
Update 2010:
Jean-François was, as always, present, earthy, philosophical and
good-humoured at the increasingly big Millésime Bio tasting held in
Montpellier. I seem to have overlooked his star white wines somehow:
2008 Collioure blanc (Grenache blanc,
Grenache gris) - hazelnutty and fino-edged
nose; dry mineral mouthfeel, very intense with refreshing length and
concentrated, lightly exotic vs spicy fruit. 87+
2007 Collioure blanc (Grenache blanc,
Grenache gris) - more mature (obviously),
attractively appley and fino in style; lovely nutty vs creamy palate with
incisive long finish. 88+
2007 Collioure rouge - sweet, perfumed,
garrigue aromas; delicious spicy fruit vs
underlying grip, elegant vs powerful. 87-89
2006 Cuvée Capitas Collioure rouge – rich and smoky with
lush dark fruit and spicy oak in the background; liquorice "sweetness" vs
meaty flavours / texture vs proper grip, concentrated and powerful yet
fine length. 90+
2004
Cuvée Capitas – turning savoury and meaty, attractive
elegant vs rich fruit, ripe and soft vs still firm finish.
87-89
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,
www.traginer.fr.
 Domaine 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 ripe
fruit aromas with spicy edges; solid palate showing very light
coco oak in the background adding a touch of texture, quite rich
juicy fruit, rounded tannins and a tad of alcohol weight. Needs a
little aeration to soften it up: a few more months in bottle
should bring all the elements together better. Good with grilled
Catalan sausages or chorizo type cold meats.
87-89
Update 2008: the most recent tasting at a
successful charity art exhibition/sale held at the winery in late March (will
become an annual event I'm told), along with finished and currently available
bottlings of their red blends.
2006
One Block
Muscat
- nice floral orange peel and grapey aromas, still quite lively v soft elegant
finish; very drinkable. 87
2006
One Block
Grenache
- soft and aromatic with spicy liquorice and cherry tones, a touch of dry grip
from otherwise supple tannins and quite powerful finish.
87
2006
Three
Peaks, Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre)
- named after the view from the vineyard, so to speak. Attractive lively black
cherry/currant fruit v chunky tannins, hints of chocolate oak with dry v rounded
texture, nice balance and style.
89
2006 Le Secret (mostly
Syrah 13.5%) - a bit
more oak than above layered with black cherry and spice, showing a little
maturing savoury edge too; dry grip v 'sweet' texture, less chunky than the 3
Peaks but again has nice style and length. 87-89
2006 Tahi,
Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Mourvèdre Grenache)
- quite oaky at the moment yet has pretty rich fruit, solid framework
v 'sweet' textured tannins; powerful but balanced, chocolate and spice v dark
fruit on its tight finish. Needs 1 to 2 years to come out a bit.
90+
2006 Muscat de Rivesaltes - fresh and clean
Muscat style, quite a kick on the palate but this helps cut through the
sweetness; drier than most MdR. 85
Tasted
July 2008:
2006 Motus (mostly
Mourvèdre
still in barrel but will be bottled soon) - this slightly experimental 'secret'
batch (there's not much of it) shows dark brooding colour, lovely smoky tobacco
and liquorice aromas with savoury and a touch animal undertones; chunky and
concentrated with 'sweet' v savoury fruit, fairly gripping tannins and powerful
framework; something different for red wine enthusiasts, it has a long
intriguing finish. 90+
I also tasted various 2007 whites and reds from tank and barrel, which all show
promise and confirm that 2007
is a very good vintage in the Roussillon (and the Languedoc and Provence too
from the ones I've tried), unlike much of the rest of France.
Mid October 2008:
2007 One Block Muscat - light,
fragrant and refreshing with 'mineral' style and bite; less 'grapey' or 'Muscaty'
than the 06, but this is a nice easy-drinking dry white.
85
2007 Grenache Gris /
Carignan Blanc / Macabeu
(from the barrel it was fermenting in) - creamy yeast-lees fatness with
lively white peach and pear flavours, fresh and quite fine with good
weight too. Will report back on the finished wine.
2007 One Block Grenache? (from vat,
could be called something else with a bit of Syrah blended in) - delicious
lively dark cherry and liquorice notes, fruity v grip and weight; perhaps
less chunky/powerful than the 06 but has very nice pure fruit.
87
2007
Côtes du Roussillon? ('base' wine from
Syrah
plus unoaked
Mourvèdre
and
Grenache)
- aromatic ripe blackberry/cherry/cassis, savoury edges on the palate v
liquorice 'sweetness'; firm tannins and full-bodied offset again by that
lovely fruit.
88-90?
And the finished articles, February 2009:
2007 One Block White Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (Muscat
12%) - the name's changed but the wine hasn't much: nice and aromatic,
fresh and dry with a touch of roundness/oiliness too; actually smells &
tastes more Muscat-y than before. €6.50 85+
2007 La Terre Promise Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (mostly
Macabeu 12%) - fairly accomplished style,
this dry foodie white (nice with hake and roast potatoes) combines bruised
apple and pear fruit with lightly oaky yet nutty and oily
aromas/flavours/textures; attractive weight considering the alcohol isn't
high, with fresh v toasty & rounded finish. €9 87
Summer 2009:
the 2007 One Block Red ended
up as a mostly
Grenache,
Côtes du Roussillon blend
and is a nice chunky spicy fruity number drinking well now:
87+ I'd say. And that one-off 2006 Motus
majority Mourvèdre
red has delivered its promise as noted earlier: concentrated, firm and
dry yet rounded with developing meaty/savoury fruit finish. Same score
as above...
For euro prices and UK stockists, check out their website.
January 2010
update, new red vintages:
2008 "One Block" Côtes du Roussillon (mostly
Grenache, Syrah 13.5%) - nice upfront
chunky, spicy and lightly smoky style; showing lush dark cherry and
liquorice vs tad of spicy wood texture and dry grip, then lively peppery
dried black fruit finish. Approx €7.50 France, €9.50 Germany, £10 UK.
87+
2007 Motus
Côtes du Roussillon (80% Mourvèdre)
- fair bit of spicy vanilla oak at the moment but plenty of
blackberry/olive fruit underneath plus enticing meaty tones; lush and
concentrated with "sweet vs savoury" profile, gripping tannins but more
rounded than the 2006; nice oomph and depth, more successful than the 06
actually (which I did also like a lot, see above) showing promise and the
kind of finish that makes you want to drink more...
90-92
6
Traverse de Thuir, 66300
Trouillas.
Tel: 04 68 95 02 29 / mobile: 06 50 88 21 70;
info@domainetreloar.com,
www.domainetreloar.com.
 Domaine
des Trois Orris
Dutchman
Joep Graler's airy organic wines are the product of the remote
vine-lands in the central-(wild)western Roussillon outback,
around the hamlets of Tarérach and Arboussols. It's also a
great spot for walking and meeting no-one else on the way, except
the odd lizard, rabbit or pheasant maybe. He has 15 ha/37 acres
planted mostly with Carignan (red and white), Syrah, Grenaches,
the rare Chenanson and a plot of Chenin blanc; which Joep added
as a replacement for Macabeu five years ago, when he established
3 Orris, because "it lacked character." He sells most
of his wine in Germany, Asia, the Netherlands, Belgium, England
and Switzerland; finding the French market "less and less
interesting, people don't have any money!" and too
price-driven. Joep has signed up to 'Tourisme de Terroir en
Pyrénées Orientales', a joint project between the
regional tourist board, wine and food producers and hotels &
restaurants; to encourage people to explore beautiful, unknown
parts of the Roussillon like this area, and, as in his case no
doubt, away from thinking just beaches and ski resorts! Anyway,
it must be working as he told me that, out of only 5% direct
sales, about three-quarters of this comes from wine trekking
tourists. I tried the following wines at the
Fenouillèdes
wine show held
in April 2007.
2005
blanc (Marsanne
Grenache gris Carignan blanc)
– attractive appley freshness with a fruity then mineral
palate, nice easy-drinker yet something serious about it too.
85-87
2006
blanc "wild
ferment" – so called thanks to a bit of Brett (a
natural spoilage yeast) adding some funky edges, rich and quite
fat mouth-feel; interesting style to say the least!
2004
La Pierre Blanche,
Côtes
du Roussillon rouge – appealing juicy blackberry style with
a touch of tannic grip and substance to finish.
85
2005
La Pierre Blanche, Côtes
du Roussillon rouge – lovely lively black fruit cocktail v
fresh and zingy even on the palate, light tannins add to its
enjoyable length.
87-89
2004
Lhusanes (50%
Syrah
plus
Carignan
Grenache)
– delicious floral style with black cherry and liquorice
notes, more extracted and structured than above although
well-handled.
87-89
2005 Lhusanes
– showing
livelier fruit on the nose and palate, quite rich then tight and
firm, lush v fresh and long.
89-91
2004
La Figarasse (Carignan)
– rich v fine fruit, slight old wood character intruding
but has intensity and refreshing length.
87-89
2005 La
Figarasse – cleaner
with sexy vibrant fruit layered on its dense structure, dry grip
v 'sweet' coating and long bite.
90+
2005
Aife,
Vin de Table (Chenanson)
– surprising depth considering its made from 5 year-old
vines, attractively fruity and spicy with solid tannins.
87-89
2009 Update:
tasted with
Joep
at the
Fenouillèdes wine
fair, late April in Tautavel:
2007 Aife white (Carignan blanc
&
Grenache gris)
- rounded and oily mouthfeel with honeyed and spicy floral notes, nice
fresh vs quite weighty finish. 85+
2007 La Graeia white (Marsanne
& Carignan blanc)
- zestier and gummier with more mineral style, quite lively and attractive
although less interesting perhaps. 83-85
2007 Pierre Blanche
Côtes du Roussillon
red
- appealing lively cassis and black cherry fruit, juicy tasty palate with
light tannic grip vs
spicy fruity finish. 85+
2007
Lhusanes (50%
Syrah
plus
Carignan
Grenache, older
vines)
– similar fruit and spice character but more concentrated and intense,
rich vs tangy finish.
87+
2007
La Figarasse (100%
old Carignan)
– pretty intense crunchy vs "sweet" and peppery fruit / texture, nice
fresh acidity and grip to finish.
89
2007 Síríssíme (14.5%) - dollop of vanilla oak is quite
overpowering, although it does have attractive intensity and fruit. Not
sure, we'll see if the latter conquers the former.
Mas
Llossannes, 66320
Tarérach.
Mobile: 06 75 02 51 00, troisorris@wanadoo.fr;
www.troisorris.org.
 Château Valmy
The
road up to
Martine
and Bernard Carbonnell's remarkable Bavarian/Disney-esque castle
cum winery & hotel is well signposted off the
Argelès
bypass, but you absolutely could not miss it (even if it was dark
and you were wearing sunglasses...). Perched up on a hill and
surrounded
by neatly terraced cascading vineyards, the Carbonnells have
spent a fortune restoring this old family estate. Bernard started
by replanting all the vineyards in the 1990s, building a
show-piece glass-inner-walled cellar with tasting bar and finally
had the peeling château itself renovated. They now offer
five sumptuous and well-equipped guest rooms that retain a
certain timeless Old World charm;
priced
from €150 to €350 depending on time of year, size and
meal options (it's not open in the winter by the way).
As for
the wines, I found them attractive and well-made although a bit
over-glossy and lacking substance given the quite high prices
they charge (€8 to €16); then again, most of the vines
are still young so the wines should gain more depth in time. They
currently produce about 70,000 bottles and "need to get to
100K to really be profitable, in terms of the investments made,"
taking a long-term view like so many who believe in the
Roussillon's quality future and have gambled a lot of money on
it. The whole set-up is clearly geared to getting numbers of wine
tourists to come to them, and why not when you have an
extraordinary estate like this in a superb location? And it
appears to be paying off: Martine said they now sell around 60%
of production on-site, way above the average; and it's a great
place for them to entertain their trade customers too. These
wines tasted in March 2007:
2005
Valmy
rosé
(Syrah
Grenache
Mourvèdre)
– fruity chunky and rounded with quite fresh length; good
but looking a little old, look forward to trying the 06.
85
2005
Les Roses Blanches
de
Valmy (Viognier
Marsanne Grenache blanc)
– pretty toasty (fermented in oak) but does has nice
aromatic apricot notes and creamy full palate too.
85
2004
Côtes
du Roussillon
rouge
(Syrah
Grenache
Mourvèdre)
– attractive
creamy blackcurrant and raspberry fruit, soft and ripe with dry
bite and subtle finish.
83-85
2004
Le Premier de Valmy,
Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah
Grenache
Mourvèdre)
- coconut spice dominates the nose (14 months in oak), quite lush
with elegant fruit texture, dry v rounded then tighter finish.
Quite good but €16?
87
2004
Valmya Rivesaltes Grenat
VDN
(Grenache)
– enticing blackberry/cherry nose moves on to savoury v
dark chocolate and wild fruit flavours; nice balance of tannin
texture, sweetness and alcohol.
89
2005
L'Or de Valmy,
Muscat de Rivesaltes (Muscat
petits grains)
– delicious floral honeyed nose, fruity and rich palate
with lively finish showing roundness and freshness.
87
Chemin
de Valmy,
66700
Argelès-sur-Mer.
Tel:
04
68 81 25 70
/
04 68 95 95 25,
contact@chateau-valmy.com/
chateau.valmy@tiscali.fr,
www.chateau-valmy.com
Domaine Vaquer
Having unearthed a bottle of their
sublime 1991 Cuvée Fernand Vaquer, red Vin
de Pays Catalan, in a posh wine shop in Perpignan; I felt a visit was in order. Frédérique Vaquer now runs this distinctive estate located in Tresserre off the
main road to Le Boulou and Spain. Frédérique described their philosophy as
"looking for finesse, a lighter elegant style rather than extracted and rich...
more like Burgundy that will age." I like their wines, which certainly are
different (and quite pricey) and unashamedly labelled Vin de Pays, as they're
not very interested in appellation rules or conforming to what's supposed to be typical of
the area (actually, things have changed just a little since then - see update
below). They also offer several old vintages of reds and whites even. Tasted
June 2006:
2002 L'Exception blanc (Macabeu
Grenache Blanc,
14%) - toasty but not too much, adding coconut spice to its complex oily texture
and richness, fresh acidity and nice length. €14.50 89
1995 Blanc de Blancs Tradition (Macabeu) -
mature oily aromas, oxidised fruit with steely backbone; interesting although a
bit old. €8 85
2002 L'Exigence rouge (Grenache) - nice plum
and liquorice nose, mature 'sweet' fruit v meaty spice, firmer rounded palate,
elegant v powerful finish. €9 87+
2004 L'Expression rouge (Carignan)
- shows good depth of fruit and concentration, quite volatile but complex and unusual
(see re-tasting below). €12
87-89
2003 Cuvée Bernard Vaquer (Carignan Grenache Syrah)
- developed intricate wild herb, black cherry and liquorice tones; nice soft
fruit with leather notes, rounded easy tannins and light dry finish. €7.50
88-90
1985 rouge - a little old and oxidising but its complex meaty characters,
soft liquorice fruit and subtle finish give it charm; much better with food too.
€18 89
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - very zesty floral nose with white peach and
citrus notes, nice extract, intense v sweet length with balanced finish. €9
90
1995 Post-Scriptum, Rivesaltes Tuilé (Grenache)
- appealing cooked red fruit nose with interesting oxidised pecan nut tones,
rich and sweet yet very fruity, finishing with a touch and tannin and alcohol to
balance. €13 89
Vieux Rivesaltes
ambré (Grenache gris & blanc, Macabeu)
- intriguing Madeira like aromas, walnut tang with toffee richness, not too
heavy thanks to subtle length. €13 90+
Vaquer update
October 2008
A long
overdue re-visit to effervescent Frédérique Vaquer's cosy garage
(literally) tasting shop, on a lovely sunny mid-October afternoon I may
add, yielded the following notes and comments from a somewhat extensive
and remarkable tasting. The wines below are 'classified' Vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes
(out of choice rather than representing any preconceived ideas on quality
or whatever) unless otherwise stated. However, Frédérique's L'Exception
red is now AOC
Côtes
du Roussillon
Les Aspres, from the 2005 vintage, as she decided to demarcate certain
plots accordingly to make a statement blend of varieties.
2007 L'Ephémère rosé (Syrah Carignan
13.5%) – pretty serious style, still vibrant with tangy raspberry and
redcurrant fruit v creamy & full mouth-feel; very dry refreshing finish
with a lightly bitter twist of tannin, nice food rosé as perhaps a tad
'big' to drink on its own. €5.80 87+
2006 Exigence (Grenache 14%) -
delicious smoky black cherry and liquorice, spicy and savoury underpinned
by lovely fruit; powerful yet with nice subtle tannins, finishing with
elegant fresh length. €9.50 88-90
2006 L'Expression (Carignan
13%) – smokier and more complex, liquorice v herbal edges; delicious fruit
and refreshing style, makes you want more; firmer tannins than above yet
lovely depth and finish. €26 magnum. 90-92
2004 L'Expression (Carignan
13%) – a tad oxidised (already opened) but again shows that richness v
freshness thing, dry bite v fruity depth; less vibrant than the 06
although turning nicely savoury with leather and dried fruit edges. €12
89-91
2005 L'Exception Les Aspres (Grenache
Cinsault Syrah
14%) - very tasty with attractive depth of rich dark spicy fruit v savoury
edges; weighty yet elegant, closes up on the finish with subtle dry
texture v lush length. Promising. 90-92
2001 L'Exception (mostly
Carignan
14%) – smoky savoury meaty aromas with sexy almost salty dark chocolate
undertones, bitter liquorice and dried herbs / fruits too; quite big and
grippy still, although would drink very nicely now with game or a mature
cheese like Gruyere. €14.50 89-91
2007 L'Extrait Rivesaltes Grenat (Grenache mûté
sur grain: meaning
the fortifying spirit is added while still fermenting with the crushed
berries before pressing, and bottled young, similar to the way they make
vintage Port) - delicious blackberry/cherry, very fruity and crunchy;
lively and powerful palate (17%), luscious and sweet but with nice bite
and style. €11 88+
1995 Post-Scriptum Rivesaltes (Grenache)
- aged for much longer in cask. Complex mature cheesy notes layered with
toffee and pecan; ageing fig and burnt chocolate flavours yet still has
some freshness, long and stylish with a bit of bite making it seem less
sweet on the finish. €13 90+
Rivesaltes ambré Hors d'Age 'solera' (Grenache gris & blanc, Macabeu
16.5%) - the base is 20+ year-old wines with younger ones added
(like old sherry or tawny Port). Intricate Madeira like aromas, rich
toffee and resiny fruit on the palate but not cloying, pecan and walnut
flavours v refreshing bite and length; stays with you, mature cheesy v pruney
v nutty aftertaste. 92-94
2007 Muscat de Rivesaltes
(16.5%) - fragrant and quite fine, grapey Muscat aromas; sweet v bitter
citrus peel edges, floral and fresh v dried apricot richness; has more
depth and unctuousness than most. €9 89
1985 Blanc de Blancs Tradition, Vin de Pays Catalan (Macabeu
13%) - intriguing kind of old Burgundy v mature Riesling v Fino
sherry style, oily rounded and toasted nutty; a bit over the hill although
nice with fried trout fillet.
1986 Blanc de Blancs Tradition (Macabeu
13%) - strangely, more oxidised
than the 85 with a rather bitter finish; past it I'm afraid but worth trying
anyway!
Winter 2009:
1986 rouge - attractive mature
Burgundy style with dried "sweet" red fruits turning very savoury, cheesy
and intricate; velvety mouthfeel with delicious liquorice vs meaty
flavours, gets older in the glass and beginning to fade quite quickly, so
enjoy it now as it's not going to keep much longer. Still very nice
though. 90
The Winery in London stocks several Vaquer wines:
click to go to their site.
1 Rue des Ecoles, 66300
Tresserre.
By appointment only: tel 04 68 38 89 53, fax 04 68 38 84 42;
domainevaquer@terre-net.fr.
 Domaine de Vénus
Vénus
is owned by "a dozen wine-loving friends" steered by Nathalie
Abet in situ, who gradually bought up and
brought together parcel after parcel of old vines spread around
the rocky elevated windy terrain near St-Paul; as well as
planting some new Syrah and Vermentino. Thus the estate climbed from 7 ha/17 acres in
2003 to 13 ha in 2007. I tried the following wines at the
Fenouillèdes
wine show held
in April of that year. By the way, it's now closer to 15 ha
(although those young plantings mentioned above haven't quite yet come
on stream) over 40 very different plots, which must be hard to
coordinate at picking time!
2005
blanc, Vin de
pays des Côtes Catalanes (mostly old vine
Grenache
gris) –
quite toasty and rich yet with attractive honeyed fruit overtones
and mineral freshness. €11.55
87
2003
rouge, Vin de
pays des Côtes Catalanes (Carignan
Syrah Grenache)
– quite structured v ripe cherry fruit with tobacco tones,
fairly powerful and long finish. €6.60
87-89
2004
Côtes
du Roussillon (Grenache Syrah
Carignan)
– a bit reductive or something on the nose, moves on to a
tight herbal v liquorice palate, somewhat firm and tart but has
underlying 'sweetness' too; closes up, a touch bitter in the end
perhaps. €10.55
87+?
2003
Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Carignan Syrah)
– hints of smoky bacon, pretty extracted tannins with light
tobacco and sweet plum notes, turning savoury to finish. €11.80
89?
Update spring/summer 2009 tasted
at the Fenouillèdes wine
fair, late April in Tautavel:
2004 white vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (Grenache
gris/Macabeu)
– oily buttery texture and flavours with a tad of background toastiness,
although it's attractively hazelnutty too; interesting "old" style.
85+
2006 white vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (Grenache
gris/Macabeu)
– creamier toastier and "sweeter" but again has nice nutty maturing
tones and weighty vs lively mouthfeel underneath.
85+
2008 rosé - zesty elegant Provence
style with rose petal and red fruit notes, zingy finish too.
85+
2007 red vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (Carignan/Syrah)
– attractive blueberry and cassis fruit with spicy liquorice undertones,
nice bit of grip and punch on the palate. 85+
2004
Côtes
du Roussillon (Grenache Syrah
Carignan)
– nice developing savoury fruit with tangy herbal edges, dark chocolate
and dry bite to finish. 87+
2004
Côtes
du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Carignan Syrah)
– a touch more wood on the nose and palate but this also gives it more
texture and roundness; maturing "sweet & savoury" fruit vs still firm
mouthfeel. 87+
2003 - a bit oxidised, extracted and dried out...
13
Avenue Jean Moulin,
66220
St-Paul
de Fenouillet.
Tel: 04 68 59 18 81,
domainedevenus@aliceadsl.fr,
www.domainedevenus.com.
 Domaine
Vinci
You'll find
Olivier
Varichon and Emmanuelle
Vinci's garage-cellar cum office located, unobtrusively, on the main road out of
Estagel towards Maury. But call first if you want to visit, as
they're just as likely to be elsewhere lost among their different parcels
of vineyard spread across the Agly Valley. These four plots all have an identity
and each wine is named after them. In total seven hectares are planted with Macabeu, Grenache Blanc and Carignan Blanc (quite rare) for
the whites; and red Grenache, Carignan and good-old Mourvèdre.
Olivier explained his philosophy: "we
decided to work only with so-called local varieties to avoid
any style homogenisation by having Syrah or others like Cabernet Sauvignon." All their wines are labelled as vin de pays des Côtes
Catalanes, as "appellation laws are restrictive and a typically French
absurdity!" He carried on letting off steam: "French wine regulations are
a lung
cancer for any business, and the AOC
system just makes it more confusing for wine consumers. We need to keep it
simple using branding and prioritising education on the Roussillon region and
its wines."
The following frank comments have been taken out of context a
little, due to lack of space, but you get his point: "Honesty isn't the
grape-growing industry's forte, so how can you recommend a label that
unfortunately doesn't necessarily reflect what the wine or terroir really is. Apologies
for sticking the boot in to our
viticultural hypocrisy!" Vinci's vineyards are farmed organically as "by and
large, the environment gives us the freedom to. But being organic in the
vineyard doesn't necessarily mean quality wine. You've got to follow through
with the same logic." Wines below were tasted in March 2007: all priced €20 in
France; also available in Britain, Switzerland and Belgium.
2004 Coyade
blanc - fresh floral tones set
on hazelnut richness, nice mixture of oily rounded palate v zesty lemon and
mineral bite. 87-89
2005 Coyade
blanc (just bottled) -
fresher chalkier style, milky with light toast v nice crispness, riper softer
fruit than the 04; needs a few months to open up. 87-89
2004 Coste (Mourvèdre Carignan) - attractive
dark fruit with black olive and gamey edges; herbal v 'sweet' flavours, elegant and
ripe with tangy freshness v liquorice finish. 88-90
2004 Rafelot (Carignan, some of which dates
from 1889!) - a bit smokier with more chocolate/coconut notes, perfumed black
cherry/currant fruit; tighter firmer and more intense, fine length with light
choc coating, needs a few years to express itself. 89-91
2004 Inferno (Grenache
at
altitude) - a little closed up with light perfumed cherry, spice and liquorice;
tighter palate still, lovely freshness and bite v power and rounded fruit, great
length. 91-93
2006
Mourvèdre (vat sample) -
deliciously perfumed fruit with black olive notes, fresh and peppery with pretty
ripe tannins. Promising.
Vinci
update
2009:
I called in on loquacious and
enthusiastic Olivier
at the cellar in March and tasted, well, just about everything in
tank and barrel plus the latest vintage releases in bottle! Very
worthwhile visit that confirmed they - Olivier and Emmanuelle - really are
making some of the most exciting wines in the Roussillon.
2006 Coyade white (Macabeu Grenache blanc Carignan
blanc, 13.5%) - they blend the must of these three varieties before
fermentation, unusually, let it settle out then drain into barriques for
12 months followed by 8 months in stainless tanks. Lightly toasty vs
exotic and fat then dry and crisp; tight palate closing up a little, quite
fine actually with appley tones vs yeast-lees richness, coconut spice and
aniseed finish. 88+
2005 Coyade white - quirky maturing hazelnut and real cider aromas vs
still perfumed floral and peachy; yeast-lees fatness vs steely, mineral,
almost salty bite; full-bodied with oily texture, tasty and still quite fresh with very
dry finish, spicy apple and aniseed too. 87-89
2006 La Coste (Mourvèdre Carignan 13%) -
smoky liquorice and black olive tones; juicy and rich with nice crunchy
fruit vs firm punchy mouthfeel, well-structured yet quite silky too with
rustic fruit and wild herbs vs fine lively finish.
90
2006
Rafelot (very old Carignan, 13.5%) -
perfumed floral blueberry, cassis and black cherry fruit vs smoky tobacco
edges; delicious cherry fruit, very concentrated with tight acid / tannin
framework although still attractively rounded, spicy long finish with
lovely lingering wild fruit / herb cocktail. 92+
2007
Inferno (Grenache
tasted from 6 year-old barriques, will spend up to 18 months total, 14%) -
toffee-ish & liquorice aromas turning meaty and savoury vs underlying
'sweetness'; chunky tannins vs fresh acidity, very dry long and promising
finish. 90-92
2007
Rafelot (from barrel, 13%) - wild fruits with tobacco tinges, again
meaty vs crunchy juicy fruit then floral cassis on the finish; delicious
firm and dry palate with enticing coating of fruit and tannins, very long
and quite fine really. 92+
2007
Mourvèdre - smoky yet perfumed with black
olive notes, lovely liquorice fruit vs tangier and wilder side; very firm
texture at the moment although has nice meaty concentration and dark fruit
finish. Superb although not to everyone's taste! 93-95
2008
Rafelot and
Inferno were both looking very good with dense fruit and fine dry
silky tannins and 'sweet vs savoury' style. I look forward to trying all
the 2008s again after a bit of barrel ageing.
2004 Coste (Mourvèdre Carignan) -
powerful, complex, spicy and earthy with wild herb and savoury/leathery
dark olive notes vs lively cassis & blueberry fruit; punchy palate with
fresh acidity and dry bite still vs juicy spicy fruit, big and rounded
turning savoury vs dark chocolate on the finish. Dense mouthful of wine
yet multifaceted and maturing nicely into a kind of traditional Bandol
style. Good with pan-fried lamb steak. 88-90
Update 2010:
Olivier had the following new
and older vintages up for
tasting
at the enigmatically named "Salon du X" - it's not that much of a
mystery, actually, a tasting organised by his agent
Xavier Peyrot des Gachons with a dozen
Languedoc & Roussillon winegrowers present (there were originally 10, I
think) hence the X - back in April at Domaine
Gayda's impressive
winery & restaurant complex between Limoux and Castelnaudary. Refer to
wines above for varieties, as they do more or less the same blends each
year for each wine; hence the name of a wine = the name of the parcel.
2006 Coyade white
- wild lees-edged nose with intense hazelnut and aniseed; concentrated
and lively vs oily nutty texture, powerful and long. Lovely.
88-90
2005
Coste - very meaty with
black olive notes, smoky and rich vs grip; very nice now although still
pretty solid. 89-91
2004 Rafelot (sampled a few weeks earlier at a tasting of
100% Carignans) - slightly grainy tones vs quite lush blueberry, smoky
earthy vs rich and spicy; nice rounded fruity mouth-feel yet still
structured and quite tight, maturing vs punchy with subtle depth and
spicy finish. 89+
2007
Rafelot (sampled a few weeks earlier at a tasting of
100% Carignans)
- quite pungent
reduced nose at first (had just been
bottled I think), which did slowly lift off revealing juicy "sweet"
fruit vs crunchier herby spicy profile; again concentrated and powerful,
hopefully that "awkward" side should sort itself out in bottle...
2007
Rafelot - still a touch
reduced or something on the nose. Moves on to lively crunchy berry
fruit, concentrated and chunky with "sweet/savoury" profile, spicy and
firm with tight finish needing 2-3 years to open up. Wow.
88-90
2007
Inferno - rich almost cooked nose, concentrated and meaty/leather
with grippy solid mouth-feel vs lush and full-bodied.
90
2006
Rafelot - smoky liquorice notes vs cassis and blueberry; more
elegant firm vs ripe profile, nice balance of full-on vs restrained.
90+
Domaine Vinci's wines are imported by Eminent Wines in
London.
19 avenue du Dr Torreilles, 66310
Estagel. Tel: 04.68.52.04.99 / mobile:
06.18.49.11.21,
www.domainevinci.com. |
|
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)
|
