Roussillon 'French Catalonia' wine book

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16 August 2024

Roussillon: Gardiès, Terres Fidèles, Jonquères d'Oriola, Madeloc.


The Roussillon wine people in Perpignan (green link goes to the local wine industry website, known as the CIVR for short) held a suitably tasty trade event in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, which showcased a dozen estate wineries and co-op cellars. The last articles I posted about the Roussillon were grouped by geographical area and wine style...
This time I've opted for good-old-fashioned random with each piece dedicated to three or four different wineries dotted around the Roussillon. Other recent posts from the Edinburgh tasting: Roussillon: 'Coup de Coeur' winners 2024.


Domaine Gardiès
Jean Gardiès took over this estate winery in the northern Roussillon over 25 years ago and has since been joined by son Victor; they have 50 hectares of vineyards around Espira-de-l'Agly, Vingrau and Tautavel. Still one of the region's best producers, although success and top quality in the Roussillon inevitably mean pricey.
Clos des Vignes blanc 2022 Côtes du Roussillon (13.5% abv): Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Macabeu, Roussanne. Barrel-fermented and aged in large casks for 12 months. Pear and honeysuckle notes lead on to a rich yet crisp and intense palate. Lovely fine white wine. £27-£32 Hallgarten & Novum Wines (importer), Strictly Wine, Spirits24, Great Wines Direct, Corking Wines.
Mas Las Cabes rouge 2022 Côtes du Roussillon (13.5% abv): Gardiès' other label sourced from different vineyards; mostly Syrah with Grenache and Carignan, half left in tanks for eight months and half aged in French oak barrels. Nice solid fruit on nose and palate, quite firm and a little young still, although should be good with steak or lamb dishes. £15-£19 Strictly Wine, Corking Wines, Great Wines Direct, All About Wine, Spirits24, Shelved Wine, Beckford Bottle Shop. £17-€19 Wines Direct (ROI/NI).
Clos des Vignes rouge 2020 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (14% abv): 70% Grenache, 30% Carignan from specific plots on the Vingrau high ground, average age 75 years; aged for 12 months in 600 litre casks. Much more concentrated, delicious spicy kirsch fruit, firm yet nicely textured tannins; very good. £26-£39 Strictly Wine, All About Wine, The Vine King, Corking Wines, Great Wines Direct, Symposium fine wine, Spirits24.


Terres Fidèles
This range has been developed by Scottish importer Alliance Wine over the last few years, one of a handful of their own winemaking projects, which are sourced from some excellent old-vine vineyard sites with the help of local consultants. Photo: Fergal Tynan MW, Chief Executive of Alliance.
Fidèle Vieilles Vignes 2021 Organic Côtes du Roussillon Villages: majority Grenache with Carignan (40-80 year-old bush vines) from near Maury in the far north, planted at 240-280m altitude. Enticingly soft with ripe peppery Grenache fruit then fresher and more structured mouthfeel, elegant despite a weighty 14.5% alc. £16-£17 Cheers Wine Merchants, The Fine Wine Company, Jaded Palates, Amps Wine Merchants, Newhouse & Co. (2019 vintage and note on 2020 Soleilla, see below).
Camí del Drac Grenache Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2022 Côtes Catalanes IGP (13% abv): From a vineyard near Calce, picked early; left on the fine lees in one used 500L barrel. Juicy and yeast-lees-y vs honeyed and oily with nice maturing fruit and texture, quite soft and elegant. £13-£16 Fine Wine Company, Vine & Bine, South Down Cellars, Vintage Wine Merchants, Eynsham cellars.
Camí del Drac Carignan Noir Vieilles Vignes 2022 Côtes Catalanes (13% abv): Carbonic maceration style winemaking. Aromatic juicy blue fruits with a touch of light grip, nice easy-going red with a bit of character, although not great value. £12.50-£14 Connolly's, KWM wine, Fine Wine Company. €16.50 wineonline.ie.
Fidèle Soleilla Vieilles Vignes 2021 Maury Sec (14.5% abv): 80% Grenache, 18% Carignan, 2% Syrah; no oak. A tad 'reductive' on the nose (perhaps they're regretting that 2% of Syrah, possibly the cause/source of it) and unrevealing at the moment, however it definitely has depth and length; a vintage to come back to (not released yet in any case)? Link to 2020 and 2019 vintages above, which are stocked by some of the same wine stores cited here.
Fidèle Corral d'en Pi Vieilles Vignes 2022 Collioure rouge (14% abv): 80% Grenache, 10% each Syrah and Carignan, planted at 350m altitude above Banyuls-sur-Mer; no oak. Fairly light and aromatic, darker chocolate notes on the palate with a touch of firm tannins on its tight finish; needs a bit of time in bottle probably. Dear at £24-£27. Fine Wine Company, KWM wine. €27 The Allotment (ROI).


Jonquères d'Oriola Vignobles
The old-as-time Jonquères d'Oriola family owns 95 hectares of vineyards stretching from the Aspres zone (middle-east), to around Corneilla del Vercol where their magnificent red-brick chateau is found, and further south in Collioure. They also buy grapes to supply various other labels sold in France. French Catalan-Scottish William runs the show nowadays.
Château de Corneilla
Cavalcade 2020 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Les Aspres (14% abv): Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre (12 months in 500L barrels). Tasty sweet vs savoury fruit, drinking very nicely with softened tannins. €16 cellar door, Belgium.
Cavalcade 2019 Les Aspres: Similar blend and winemaking. Good quality, maturing savoury red, drinking well now. £13.50 The Wine Society. CA$40.
Cavalcade 2021 Les Aspres: Similar blend and winemaking. Lots of tasty black and red fruits edged with subtle oak treatment, quite concentrated yet balanced; promising.
Cavalcade Blanc 2023 Côtes du Roussillon (13% abv): Grenache blanc, Macabeu, Vermentino. Richer and yeast-leesier than their other whites with light toasted oak tones, nice rounded palate vs more 'mineral' finish; very good. €14
Héritage Rouge 2022 Côtes du Roussillon (13.5% abv): Delicious Syrah fruit dominates while combined with ripe Grenache characters, giving spicy black cherry and kirsch and attractive tannins to finish. Good. €9.50. £9.95 2021 The Wine Society.
Héritage Blanc 2023 Côtes du Roussillon (12.5% abv): Macabeu, Grenache blanc, Vermentino. Aromatic and zesty nose and palate, crisp finish with lightly oily texture too; tasty white. €9.50. £9.95 2022 The Wine Society.
Héritage Rosé 2023 Côtes du Roussillon (12.5% abv): Syrah, Grenache. Zesty yet lightly creamy, pleasant enough rosé style. €9.50
Villa d'Oriola
Chardonnay 2023 Côtes Catalanes IGP (12.5% abv): Half tank fermented and left on the lees, half aged in barrels. Very moreish Chardy actually, zippy and fruity with nice intense yeast-lees tones on the finish.
Les Terrasses 2022 Côtes Catalanes IGP (13.5% abv): Grenache and Marselan. Delicious fruit on the nose, spicy with very appealing liquorice fruit finish.
Garden Party 2022 Côtes du Roussillon (13.5% abv): Grenache, Syrah. Aromatic cherry fruit, lovely fruity easy-going red.

Domaine Madeloc
One of four estates owned by the dynamic Gaillard family (northern Rhône, Faugères, Banyuls-sur-mer), the latter including some dramatic coastal vineyards in the far southeast of the Roussillon (right).
Tremadoc blanc 2022 Collioure (14% abv): Grenache gris, Vermentino, Roussanne; barrel-fermented then 8 months with lees-stirring. Gorgeous white wine: exotic with subtle toasted tones lined with lees-y nutty characters, with lingering mouthfeel. £19-£23.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines (importer), Strictly Wine, Spirits24, Great Wines Direct, Corking Wines, Noble Green Wines, All About Wine, The Wine Library, Shelved Wine.
Serral 2021 Collioure (14% abv): mostly Grenache then Mourvèdre and Syrah; 15 months in oak. Aromatic pure fruit followed by chocolatey flavours and texture, beginning to mature well while still a little closed up. £19.50-£23.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines (importer), Strictly Wine, Spirits24, Corking Wines, All About Wine, Wine Library (2020).
Magenca 2021 Collioure (13.5% abv): mostly Grenache with Mourvèdre and Carignan; 18 months in oak. Maturing meaty notes, concentrated yet softening nicely, long tasty finish; class. £23-£28 Strictly, Corking, Great Wines, Spirts24, Pierre Hourlier, Shelved.

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