Festive wines of the mo

Rancio Sec Arnaud de Villeneuve, Côtes Catalanes, France (16% abv) - This very dry rancio style is an old-as-time Catalan speciality - although made elsewhere in France and Spain (and Europe) in similarly tiny quantities - and is distinctly different from other traditional cask-aged bottlings from the Roussillon, which is well-known for its mostly red, fortified sweet wines.

Cahors Malbec: Château de Gaudou lieu-dit range

Or lieux-dits in the plural, a common term in France for old place names found on a map or land registry, something like a historical townland or local name for say a particular site, hamlet, hill, field, valley or parish. Five Cahors wine estates, based in the Lot département in southwest France, are involved in an initiative called 'Generation Cahors Lieux Dits': Château Famaey, Château de Gaudou, Domaine d'Homs, Château Nozières and Château de Rouffiac. (This long feature carries a wine-geek warning!)

Roussillon 'French Catalonia' wine book latest news

Latest update: I've republished a new less expensive colour paperback of my Roussillon book on Amazon - follow the updated links to the UK, US, French or German stores below (not available in all markets, where it will display the original paperback price):

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09LGNR2ZY (£8.99 eBook or £25.95 paperback with colour photos).
www.amazon.com/dp/B09LGNR2ZY ($9.99 or $35).
www.amazon.de/dp/B09LGNR2ZY (€9.99 or €32.50).
www.amazon.fr/dp/B09LGNR2ZY (€9.99 or €32).

Tap/click here for direct links to Amazon in other countries and details about the book, posted last year. Alternatively in the USA, Roussillon 'French Catalonia' Wild Wine Country is available from Barnes & Noble HERE ($29.95 paperback, $39.95 hardcover, $9.99 eBook). Or in the UK or EU, you can buy it direct from me HERE (£30 / €40 scroll down to bottom of post).

The Wine Society: 3 whites, 3 rosés, 3 reds.

These nine varied wines are available from the Wine Society in the UK (and some of them from other wine stores and in other countries), which I became a member of recently, and represent my favourites from a first mixed case purchased (I picked each wine but you can order from several pre-selected options).

Roussillon 2019 reds: La Préceptorie, Domaine Jones and Vignobles d'Agly.

From domainejones.com

The three 2019 vintage reds tasting-noted here come from a few different northern Roussillon vineyard locations. Full profiles of these wineries and notes on their other wines and previous vintages can be found in my book on the Roussillon. These tasty reds are all available from the Wine Society in the UK (among others, and in other countries), which I became a member of recently.