Roussillon: Le Soula, Fenouillèdes

Le Soula has featured here before – see HERE ('Roussillon: three whites' from 2011 featuring their 2006 vintage) and HERE (notes and blurb spanning the period 2006 to 2010 on Domaine Gauby, who sought out, set up and part-owns Le Soula) - so it seemed like a good idea to add a few background words complementing my comments on recent vintage releases of some of their reds and whites.

Roussillon: Domaine La Bòria, Trilla

Stoned in the Fenouillèdes
from laboria.fr

Vincent Balansa set sail on this “participative estate” project – there are several 'partners' or 'investors' who also muck in in vineyard, winery and beyond apparently – in 2009 when some old co-op vineyards in the Trilla, Caramany and Trévillach area, due to be ripped up or abandoned as the local co-operative had sadly closed down, came up for sale as a take-it-or-leave-it opportunity.

Roussillon: Sylvain Respaut, Montner

Grape treading party from facebook.com/DomaineRespaut

Sylvain Respaut describes himself as an "Agly valley apiqueron," which, for those of you who can't find this word in their handy Collins Robert or Larousse dic, is naturally a play on two French words, "apiculteur" and "vigneron" i.e. beekeeper and winegrower combined. Since that's what he does: the honey farm (the Roussillon is also well-known for artisan honey production), called Cara'miel, is found near the village of Caramany in deepest Fenouillèdes country and was started in 2007 "with 200 hives mainly populated with a local bee variety called the 'black bee'." (If they're the same ones I'm thinking of, which I used to get buzzing around my lavender plant on my terrace when I lived in the region, they're enormous... Ed.) Organic farming was introduced in 2009, and Sylvain caught the grape bug in 2011 with the purchase of 4 ha of vines in the Montner area. More about bees, honey and his wines on caramiel.fr or check out his FB page link under the photo.

2011 was the first vintage, so we could see these wines developing more depth and character with time, hopefully, although they're attractive drinking now. Sylvain also makes a white called 'Zumo' from old Grenache gris in addition to the three wines I tasted, which are simply labelled as 'Vin de France' and subjected to, or rather not, 'natural' winemaking such as wild yeast fermentation etc.

2012 Tangerine (Chardonnay) - citrus and orange peel notes, quite crisp and 'mineral' on the palate vs nice peachy fruit.

2011 Plein Les Ceps (Grenache made by 'carbonic maceration') - fairly light and elegant for Grenache, perfumed fruit with a riper more liquorice side, soft and easygoing finish.

2011 Gorgorlou (Grenache and 100 year-old Carignan) - richer and funkier, chunky fruity palate, quite soft; again lacks a bit of depth but it's nice now. 

Roussillon: Domaine du Possible, Lansac

Loïc Roure acquired 6½ hectares of vines (16 acres) while taking over the abandoned co-op winery building in Lansac back in 2003, which needed a thorough clean-up and refit with new equipment and now also houses a top-floor apartment and art studio. The first plots he found were/are in Latour-de-France followed by a few more in neighbouring Rasiguères, Bélesta, Cassagnes and Lesquerde; and another four ha were purchased more recently in Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes a dozen kilometres to the wild west on the Aude frontier.

Roussillon: Fenouillèdes "winemaker mugshot" competition

That's my best guess / translation of the Fenouillèdes wine association's second annual "Gueule de vigneron" photo competition. If you already have a nice shot of a northern Roussillon winemaker doing their thing or just chilling out or whatever (within reason obviously...), then you've got until 25 August to send it in by email or post. Alternatively, why not pop over to feral Fenouillèdes wine country with your digi cam and meet the guys and girls on the ground. Photos received by that date will be displayed around a few different Perpignan wine bars and shops during the Visa photo festival; and a jury of pros will pick the winning pics. The prize is... wine, of course, and an evening out tasting wines from the area with a few nibbles thrown in.
The Fenouillèdes is roughly those lovely wine-lands stretching from around St-Paul and Caudiès along the Agly Valley, and a bit either side (especially south), taking in Maury, Tautavel, Latour, Estagel etc. Look for those village names in my Roussillon A to Z (right) to view lots of winemaker profiles and wine recommendations. More info and entries: contact@vins-fenouilledes.com, or check out their site vins-fenouilledes.com (only in French though by the looks).

Roussillon: Domaine Matassa, Calce

Updated March 2014 - see below.

Matassa is the name of the first vineyard bought in 2002 by Tom Lubbe (originally from South Africa 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 (now IGP) Côtes Catalanes, which he believes "... has more resonance for us and others around here."

I took that comment and the ones in this paragraph from a survey done over three years ago, so he might have changed his mind on some of these ideas; but I doubt it (read on for more views in the 2011/13 updates below). 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 this first batch of wines 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

Update May/June 2011:

I caught up with Tom at the first ‘natural’ wine fair held in London (click there for more info). On the much talked-about issue of 'low-sulphite' winemaking (yawn), the show organiser wrote this in the catalogue: “For us, low sulphite levels means that the grower is ultimately aiming to add little or no SO2 (sulphur dioxide) at all… dependant (sic.) on the year.” Tom told me he sets a more technical level for this at “less than 20 milligrams per litre total SO2 in bottle,” which is readily measurable in a lab and about one-fifth to one-tenth of what might be in a ‘normal’ wine (and permitted). It's worth adding that all wine contains some sulphites, even if no SO2 is added, as a natural by-product of fermentation etc. Tom also talked about copper based treatments, the traditional ‘natural’ choice for combating e.g. a particular type of mildew, as copper (present in the human organism in minute quantities but toxic at higher levels) can hang around and pollute rivers. “In a well-run organic or biodynamic vineyard (i.e. not using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, working the soil in the old-fashioned way etc.), you don’t see a build up of copper… or a desert effect…” as a living soil manages to diffuse these solutions. And something else missing from the NWF’s manifesto is sulphur itself, which is also a mainstay of organic viticulture in a ‘natural’ form.

These wines are priced from about £6 to £20 in the UK, available via their agent Les Caves de Pyrène. Reviews feature my new 1 to 3 "scoring" system (see right hand column for explanation).

2009 Three Trees Le Cayrol white (Macabeu, Rolle, Chenin Blanc) – zesty mineral side with nutty edges, juicy fruit palate with fairly delicate yet tight finish. 1

2009 Three Trees Metairie Brugens red (Cabernet Franc) – herbal red pepper and soy sauce notes, juicy fruity vs crisper finish. 1

2009 Marguerite white (Muscat, Viognier) – quite rich and exotic peach/apricot fruit vs appley twist and mineral bite, attractive combo of these two varieties with fair substance too. 1-2

2008 Domaine Matassa white (Grenache gris, Macabeu) – toastier and ‘fatter’ with enticing hazelnut edges, tangy and intense too with good concentration, dry long and exciting finish. 2-3

2006 Domaine Matassa ‘Romanissa’ red (Carignan, Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon) – maturing savoury nose with rich dried fruit, firm vs ‘sweet’ palate with a touch of grainy tannin and grip vs lovely maturing fruit. 2+

2008 L’Estanya red (Carignan) – intense ‘sweet/savoury’ style, black vs crunchier blue fruit cocktail, perfumed vs liquorice finish. 1+

Update: 2011 vintages sampled with Tom in London in 2013:

2011 Marguerite blanc (Muscat, Macabeu; total sulphites 12 mg/l) – nutty 'Fino' and apple notes, intense and tangy getting creamier and more hazelnut on the finish, long bite and quite elegant too.

2011 Matassa blanc (Grenache gris, Macabeu) - yeast lees notes and intense with aromatic vs richer fruit, concentrated and lush vs lees-y and appley bite, tasty and very long finish.

2011 Matassa red (Carignan, Lladoner Pelut, Mourvèdre and other varieties) - smoky yet 'inky', pretty wild fruity with soft blue fruits, pure and intense with nice freshness on the finish too.

Previous Matassa wines here (Vinisud show 2006).

10 Route d'Estagel, 66600 Calce. Tel: 04.68.64.10.13, www.matassawine.com.

Roussillon: "Finding Fenouillèdes country..."

"Finding Fenouillèdes country, wild wine touring..." Around Calce, Estagel, Tautavel, Caudiès de Fenouillèdes, St-Paul de Fenouillet, Lesquerde, Maury, Caramany, Rasiguères, Latour de France, Bélesta, Vingrau...

This article was published in English and French on the wine travel website www.winetourisminfrance.com in December 2006.

Whichever map angle you approach the Fenouillèdes region from, you’ll quickly be invaded by the primal beauty of the unforgiving terrain that cradles its vineyards. Draped across a dramatically wild, elevated valley landscape bridging Corbières and French Catalonia, you can kick off a wine route on its eastern side coming from Perpignan airport, around the villages of Calce, Estagel and Tautavel; or from the west between Caudiès de Fenouillèdes and St-Paul de Fenouillet. The latter choice is recommended, if you’re travelling down from Carcassonne via Limoux and Couiza then winding your way through the scary Gorges de Galamus. Between St-Paul and Estagel, dotted along and south of the D117 valley road, the villages and wines of Lesquerde, Maury, Caramany, Rasiguères and Latour de France all grab your attention.

Fennel or hay?

You might assume the word Fenouillèdes came from the French (or Occitan: historically most of this region wasn’t part of Catalonia) for fennel (fenouil), which apparently does grow wild round these parts. But according to the handy site histoireduroussillon.free.fr, the Romans called the area Pagus Fenioletensis meaning ‘hay country,’ although there is a connection between the two words. Either way, it’s the grapes that excel in this corner of the Roussillon; and winegrowers at a number of up-and-coming (and firmly established), high quality estates are keen to spread the word.

In the past, the area was known mainly as a producer of thick fortified red ‘Vins Doux Naturels’ based on Grenache. Many still make these unique wines, some of which are superb such as the Maury AOC crafted by Mas Karolina, Domaine Jorel (both in St-Paul), or, in Maury itself, traditional super-aged styles from la Coume du Roy, who still have a little of their incredibly treacly 1880 vintage! But there’s a limited market nowadays for this kind of strong, tannic and sweet wine. Hence why a fresh generation of newcomers, sons/daughters who’ve gone back into family vineyards and former co-operative growers who’ve established their own domaines, are producing exciting reds (and unusual whites and rosés) in line with today’s wine drinking tastes.

Serious Grenache

In fact, Richard Case of Domaine Pertuisane (Maury) cites Grenache as the pull of the area: “Unparalleled anywhere in France... the best three places to grow it are Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Priorat and Maury.” One hectare of old vine Grenache or Carignan is also relatively cheap here at around 10-15,000 euros. Compare that to at least €300,000 in CNDP. Quite a bit of Syrah has been planted, which seems to give very good results if matched to the right sites and soils, such as around Rasiguères, Bélesta and Vingrau.

Many growers cherish their old Carignan above all: Gérard Gauby called it “one of the great varieties of the future.” And let’s not forget majestic Mourvèdre, the mainstay of a rich complex blend, championed by some and abandoned by others. You must get out into the vineyards to fully appreciate how difficult it is to work these vines and why grape yields are generally very low. For example, when you tread uneasily on the dry schist and stone ‘soils’ at Domaine des Soulanes between Tautavel and Maury; hard to believe anything grows here at all. Owner Daniel Laffite said he wears out two pairs of boots a year!

Worth visiting and tasting

In addition to those mentioned above, other names to keep an eye out for as you tour around the region include the following, listed by village.

Calce – pretty little lost village, home to the biodynamic Gauby family (their 2003 Muntada red is particularly impressive) and Domaine Matassa (try the intense whites from Viognier-Muscat and Grenache Gris-Macabeu).

Vingrau – spectacularly set vineyards circled by limestone cliffs and hills. Domaine de l’Edre: Jacques Castany, long time grower, and Pascal Dieunidou vinified their first vintage in 2002. Look out for the 2004 Dom de l’Edre red and 2005 white. Talking of whites, about half of Domaine des Chênes’ production is white: try their atypical oak-aged 2003 les Sorbiers CdR from old vine Grenache Blanc and Macabeu.

Tautavel (where you’ll also find the Centre européen de Préhistoire, kind of history of mankind museum) – Domaine des Soulanes: 2004 Sarrat del Mas Côtes du Roussillon Villages; Domaine Fontanel: 1997 Rivesaltes Ambré.

Estagel – Domaine Hylari: Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2004 and Rivesaltes Tuilé VDN; Domaine des Schistes: 2003 La Coumeille CdRV; Domaine les Tourdelles: 2004 Cuvée Pierre Damien CdRV.

Latour de France – the old castle tower was a border outpost until ‘northern Catalonia’ became part of France in 1659. Domaine de la Balmière: 2005 Latour de France CdRV, Muscat sec and rosé; Domaine Rivaton: 2005 Latour de France CdRV.

Rasiguères – Domaine Jouret et Fils: 2004 Cuvée les 3 Soeurs CdRV; also home of Trémoine, one of the Roussillon’s most serious rosés.

Bélesta - Clos de l’Oum: 2004 Numéro Uno CdRV. The local co-op also makes some decent wines.

Vignerons de Caramany: 2004 CdRV.

Maury – Clos de l’Origine set up by former Bandol grower/winemaker Marc Barriot, who’s aiming for super-organic status: 2004 Vin de Pays rouge with 40% Mourvèdre and no sulphur dioxide. Domaine Serrelongue: young enthusiastic Julien Fournier’s 2004 Saveur de Vigne CdRV among others; Domaine Terre Rousse: 2005 CdRV looks very promising; Domaine Duran: 2005 Dom du Vieux Cépage; Mas de Lavail (with on site gîte/chambres d’hôte): 2003 la Désirade CdRV; Domaine Semper: old family estate making a full range of styles; Château Saint Roch: 2003 Kerbuccio CdRV; Domaine Pouderoux: 2003 Terre Brune CdRV; and Dom la Pertuisane’s 2004 VdP from 90% Grenache and Carignan, both very low yielding.

St-Paul de Fenouillet – Domaine de la Fou: 2004 Ricochet CdRV. Interesting to note that the Grier family of South Africa’s Villiera estate has recently purchased 22 ha of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan nearby.

Caudiès – Domaine de Majas: 2003 les Hauts de Majas CdR and good Cabernet Sauvignon vin de pays.

Mad Cathare fortresses

Facing the Pyrenees to the south and dangerously perched up on the Corbières foothills, you just have to drive (or hike) up to Château de Peyrepertuse and/or Château de Quéribus. The former is found to the northeast of St-Paul and the latter by taking the D19 road from Maury. Best to visit them when the sometimes ferocious wind isn’t blowing its heart out…

All rights Richard Mark James / WineTourisminFrance 2006

Restaurants and what’s on

The area isn’t exactly awash with places to eat and stay. Jean Pla – who’s involved in promotional activities carried out by the producers’ association, Fenouillèdes Selection – and his wife have opened a ‘resto-cave’ in Maury called Le Pichenouille. This compact establishment offers well-priced menus, winegrower dinner/tastings and you can pick your wine straight off the shelves from a wide choice of local bottles. They’re also setting up a company offering guided tours etc. 33 avenue Jean Jaurès, 66460 Maury. Tel: +33 (0)4 68 59 02 18 or mobile: 06 07 69 54 78. (ED. update - they sold it a few years ago).

The Auberge du Cellier (1 rue de Sainte Eugénie, 66720 Montner - Tel: 04 68 29 09 78 - Fax: 04 68 29 10 61) is fancier and describes its cooking as “neo-Catalan.” Tasty refined menus from 29 to 65 €uros, wines by the glass from 5 € and top Roussillon bottles priced from 15 to 300 €. They also offer six double rooms at 45 to 56 € and organise vineyard walks etc: www.aubergeducellier.com

Le Petit Gris just outside Tautavel has a large terrace outside with peaceful 360° views; fuel up with their hearty grillade catalane. Tel: 04 68 29 42 42.

Regular local events include the Fenouillèdes wine fair in May. More info including all the producers’ contact details can be found at vins-fenouilledes.com and vinsduroussillon.com

Fenouillèdes wine trip - Roussillon January 2005

Old vine Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre & Syrah-powered reds; a few interesting dry whites and Muscats; plus fab Vins Doux Naturels (sweet fortified white, amber and red wines) from Fenouillèdes country. This beautifully rugged, northwest corner of the Roussillon forms the 'border' between French Catalonia and the Pyrenees and Corbières hills. Most of these wines were tasted blind and others in the growers' cellars during an eye-opening trip in cold, crisp yet sunny Jan 2005. More Fenouillèdes here (6th wine show), here (wine travel article) and by flicking through the Roussillon winery A to Z linked on the right.

Côtes du Roussillon and Villages

 

2003 Domaine Hylari - Perfumed spice plus a hint of oak, chunky blackberry/cherry fruit, concentrated yet pretty firm and closed up on the finish at the moment; however, shows nice bite, elegance and ripeness with well handled oak. 87-89

2003 Cuvée des Schistes, Vignerons de Cassagnes-Belesta - Enticing floral liquorice nose, attractive soft fruit followed by firm tight finish and good length too. 90

2003 Bastoul, Domaine des Soulanes - Rather firm and closed up at first; however, it certainly seems to have subtle fruit concentration at heart, with fair power too without being heavily extracted. 87-89

2001 Domaine Salvat - Very ripe toffee fruit scented with violets too, attractive 'sweet' texture leads to firmer finish, not so concentrated but shows a bit of finesse. 89-91

2003 Domaine Terre Rousse - 'Tar' and ripe plum fruit with rustic edges, firmly structured yet also has attractive texture and weight. 87-89

2004 Domaine Barriot (barrel samples pre-blending) - Shows good pure fruit and concentration, a light touch of spicy chocolate oak adds texture to the firmly structured yet attractive mouthfeel, stylish balanced length. Look forward to retasting the finished bottled wine, could be a 90 pointer.

2001 Tautavel Prieurée, Domaine Fontanel - Lovely nose offering ripe smoky fruit and herbs, shows a touch of wood but it works, firm yet rounded tannins, power yet a touch of elegance too on the finish. 89-91

2004 Domaine du Possible (vat sample) - Pretty forward on the nose showing ripe and rustic liquorice fruit, nice grip and length on the palate. 87

2004 Domaine Rivaton (vat sample) - Quite chunky fruit and structure, tight long finish, shows promise. 89

2003 Dona Baissas Prestige - Lovely ripe fruit with herbal and rustic edges, firm rounded tannins finishing with a touch of elegance too. 90

2004 Jean Louis Majoral (vat sample)  - Aromatic pure fruit, good texture and concentration, very firm tannins but well handled overall. 89

2003 L'Alba, Domaine Tribouley - Peppery farmy nose, shows good concentration and finely grippy tannins. 89-91

2003 Le Ciste, Domaine Laguerre - Aromatic fruit and very firm grip, yet this has concentration and roundness on the palate; shows potential. 89

2003 Pesquié, Domaine Jorel - Sweet raspberry fruit aromas, juicy yet firm palate, attractive style drinking now. 87-89

2002 Clos del Rey - Pretty rich extracted fruit and chocolate oak, firm in the mouth yet nicely textured; perhaps a little too extracted but this has much better concentration than most of the 2002s. 87

2003 Latour de France, Domaine de la Balmière - Smoky and rustic offering attractive fruit, good concentration and lingering balanced grip. 89-91

2003 Symphonie, Domaine des Collines des Vents - Enticing ripe fruit with lavender notes, leading to firm tannins in the mouth yet with underlying sweetness; has power and elegance too. 89-91

2003 Tramontana, Domaine de la Capeillette - Sensuous black cherry fruit, the palate's rather closed up but overall it's well balanced and promising. 89-91

2003 Trois Pierres, Domaine de l'Ausseil - Attractive smoky nose with menthol undertones, very grippy yet shows concentrated fruit, tight structure and good length. Should improve with a little bottle age. 89

2003 Voluptas, Domaine Semper - Very fruity on the nose and not overtly oaky; tighter palate and more chocolate textured, pretty firm yet mineral too, very light toast and liquorice on the finish; dry bite bordering on being a little extracted, but there's freshness there too despite the rather heavy 15+% alc. 87

 

Whites

 

2004 Vin de Pays (VDP), Domaine Terre Rousse - honeysuckle with light creamy tones, concentrated with mineral intensity balancing the malo-lactic fatness; lovely. 90+

2004 Côtes du Roussillon (CDR), Domaine des Vents - oily aromas lead to a zingy palate, weighty and textured yet crisp and long. 88-90

2004 VDP, Mas Karolina - zesty citrus style, perfumed and quite rich with nice bite. 87-89

2002 CDR, Domaine de la Serre - Aniseed and mineral notes, concentrated and complex with long finish. 88+

2004 Corbières, Domaine du Grand Arc - Lifted citrus Sauvignon Blanc-esque style, zingy with nice extract and length. 87+

2003 Terra Novo, Vignerons de Maury - Lightly toasty with dominant aniseed characters, has good weight of fruit v zing and length. 87+

2004 VDP, Domaine Arguti - Perfumed anise on the nose boosted by light cream and toast, tight and long palate; a bit closed up but could be good. 88+

2003 Muscat sec, Domaine Jouret - very perfumed Muscat style with citrus peel notes, zesty and crisp length. 87-89

2004 Muscat sec, Domaine de la Balmière - a bit closed on the nose, gummy extract with crisp citrus depth. 87

 

Vins Doux Naturels

 

Rivesaltes Hors d'Age, Dona Baissas - lovely aged richness and pecan nut character, elegant bite counteracts the sweetness with the alcohol also cutting through the finish nicely. 92-94

1991 Rivesaltes Ambré, Domaine du Rancy - rich complex toffee fruit with a lingering coating of sweet baked nuts; wow. 90-92

1997 Rivesaltes Ambré, Domaine Hylari - quite intense toffee and walnut notes, shows attractive bite and length v warming sweetness. 90
2002 Rivesaltes Grenat, Domaine de l'Ausseil - a little closed on the nose but shows attractive chunky black fruits and tannins, sweetness v grip; quite young but will develop nicely. 92

1983 Chabert de Barbera, Cave de Maury - volatile mature tawny style, nutty and tangy; Port like but grippier with sweetness and firmness on the finish; lovely aged character lingers. 90

2003 Maury, Preceptorie de Centernach - ripe spicy fruit with tobacco tones, good grip and balance, tight and concentrated. 90

2003 L'Oursoulette Grenat, Domaine Comelade - lots of raspberry jam on the nose then turning tobacco and spice, elegant palate with nice dry coating of tannins v sweetness. 90

2004 Muscat de Rivesaltes, Domaine des Vents - very floral and honeyed too, zingy with zesty concentration v sweetness, long finish. 90

2004 Muscat de Rivesaltes, Domaine Andreu - quite zingy and concentrated v sweet grapey fruit, lightly zesty with lively bite. 87

2004 Muscat de Rivesaltes, Vignerons de Lesquerde - again shows tight zingy mouthfeel v richer sweetness, stylish elegant finish. 87