Is there a big difference in rosé from the Languedoc and Roussillon? Winemakers in both regions tend to have the same red grape varieties - mainly Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault (less so in the Roussillon) and Mourvèdre - and production techniques don't vary much from one place to another. Except for the particular style of rosé intended in terms of colour (deeper redder or paler pink), flavour and 'seriousness' (richer fruitier fuller or more aromatic zestier lighter).
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Showing posts sorted by date for query Grenache. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Grenache. Sort by relevance Show all posts
31 August 2023
Rosé: Languedoc vs Roussillon.
Labels:
French rosé,
Languedoc,
rosé,
Roussillon
09 August 2023
Roussillon: Maury focus - red and fortified wines.
Maury vineyards: Maury-aop.fr via uk.winesofroussillon.com.
There's no shortage of awesome chunky vineyard vistas like in the photo above around the town of Maury, dramatically and strategically positioned in the (west-) centre of the Agly Valley in the northern Roussillon, piled up against the Corbières hills facing north, down towards the Pyrenees to the southwest and Spain/Catalonia in the sun-kissed distance to the south.
03 July 2023
Languedoc - Fitou: Domaines du Vent, Bertrand-Bergé, Lérys & Château de Nouvelles.
Nathalie Boyer, Domaine du Vent.
The Fitou region nudges against the Corbières hills at the southern edge of the Languedoc before you cross over into the Roussillon, and is split into two parts divided by a chunk of the Corbières appellation in what might have been the middle of it (viticultural history, village politics). In simple terms, the seaside bit lies around Fitou itself and just to the north; and the hillier rockier inland bit is centred on Mont Tauch and the villages of Paziols, Tuchan and spreading north to Villeneuve les Corbières.
19 October 2022
Malta & Gozo: food, wine and beer.
Not surprisingly perhaps, given their history and proximity to Sicily and southern Italy, Italian cuisine is commonplace in the Maltese islands in all its forms and price ranges. We discovered the particularly good family-run restaurant ('for three decades') Il Galeone in Sliema, a short ferry-ride across the water from Valletta (35 Tigne Seafront: galeonerestaurant.com).
06 September 2022
Roussillon: a dozen Vins Doux Naturels.
The fourth and final part of my summer Roussillon review features a (baker's) dozen Vins Doux Naturels (plural, VDN(s) for short), probably more naturally translated as (sweet) fortified wines, some of which are anchored in regional tradition while others are relatively 'modern'. Including whites - although their colour is often far from it for reasons explained below, a style called Ambré - and reds from Rivesaltes, as well as Maury and Banyuls, also white and red, of various types and ages.
Labels:
Ambré,
Banyuls,
Grenat,
Maury,
Rancio,
Rimage,
Rivesaltes,
Tuilé.,
vin doux naturel
21 August 2022
Roussillon: 36 whites and rosés worthy of your fridge (but not at the same time).
Hot on the heels of two pieces showcasing 40+ stonking reds from the North and the Centre & South of the Roussillon, it's time to switch the limelight onto some of the region's flavoursome white and rosé wines. There's a blurb about the wineries mentioned here in those two previous posts: tap the links to discover more including which outlets stock their wines. So this time then, less blah blah and more wine. Photo: old vines in Les Aspres zone.
01 August 2022
Roussillon - the south & centre: 16 reds to knock your socks off (part 2).
These plush reds represent more of my favourites from a recent Wines of Roussillon tasting in London (part 1: the north, is here). Featuring wines from 2019, 2020 and 2021 plus some more mature or rarer vintages produced by various wineries in the centre and south of the Roussillon, aka 'French Catalonia, wild wine country' as in the title of my book.
08 July 2022
Roussillon - the north: 27 reds to knock your socks off (part 1).
This spicy variety of reds features some of my top picks from a Wines of Roussillon tasting in London (in June), and other recommendations from recent wine shopping. These include reds from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages, as well as a few older, more mature and sometimes special bottlings. They were made by different-sized wine producers across the northern Roussillon - Les Pyrénées Orientales is the département name - or 'French Catalonia' as I coined in the subtitle of my book on the region.
21 June 2022
June wines of the moment
A mixed baker's dozen (plus) of wines worth taking bad photos of...
M&S 'Found' Weißburgunder 2021, Pfalz Germany (12.5% abv): Or Pinot Blanc to use its more familiar French name (Pinot Bianco in Italy). This juicy zesty pear and nectarine tinged dry white is from talented winemaker Gerd Stepp, who's made other tasty 'modern' German wines for Marks including delicious Riesling and Pinot Noir. Resembles Alsace Pinot Blanc in style but with more flavour. £9.50
Labels:
Abruzzo,
Alentejo,
Alsace,
Antão Vaz.,
Basilicata,
Fiano,
Garnacha,
Gewurztraminer,
Greco,
Grenache,
Montepulciano,
Navarra,
Pays d'Oc,
Pfalz,
Pinot Blanc,
rosado,
Sicily,
South Australia,
Viognier,
Weißburgunder
28 April 2022
Grenache: white rosé and red.
Lo Cometa Garnatxa Blanca 2020 Terra Alta, Catalunya (organic, 13.5% abv): Which is Catalan for Grenache blanc, this unusual full-bodied dry white is more about flavour and texture than aroma. Subtle honeyed notes with yeast-lees, white peach and pears edged with aniseed and blanched nuts; quite powerful while juicy and concentrated with lingering mineral freshness. £7.25 The Wine Society (out of stock, wait for the 2021), €6-€7 Germany (Lidl has some 2019 left), Netherlands €9.
Labels:
Garnacha,
Garnatxa Blanca,
Grenache blanc,
Grenache noir
06 March 2022
Serious rosé
For those of us who enjoy (proper) dry rosé all year round, not just in summer (it's a good compromise for a white wine drinker and a red wine drinker sharing the same meal and bottle), it's no surprise that 'serious' rosé does exist. But some people in France and someone in Italy had the bright idea of creating the Rosés de Terroirs association as a collaborative marketing project to promote the regions and producers who are famous for making this type of full-on pink wine.
Labels:
Bandol,
Costières de Nîmes,
Côtes du Rhône,
Côtes du Roussillon,
Tavel
21 February 2022
Pays d'Oc, South of France part 4.
Poet Frédéric Mistral. |
16 February 2022
Four whites and a Pinot Noir
Santa Tresa Rina Ianca Grillo Viognier 2020 Sicilia (organic, 13.5% abv): Another delicious Grillo-based bottle from Sicily - click here and here for more of those - this time with 30% Viognier added, which ups the exotic apricot and peach flavours with full palate weight, yeast-lees edges and appealing amount of freshness. Wine Society £8.25.
Labels:
Alsace,
Grenache blanc,
Grenache gris,
Grillo,
Lugana,
Monterey.,
Pinot Noir,
Riesling,
Roussillon,
Sicily,
Turbiana,
Viognier
19 January 2022
A dozen more winter wines of the mo
Muga Reserva Rioja 2016 (14% abv) is a splendid oak-aged blend of 75% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Mazuelo (= Carignan) and Graciano. Smoky spicy oak aromas in that traditional Rioja fashion but with lots of rich dark berry fruit and beginning to show enticing balsamic maturing notes, quite dense powerful and structured with concentrated savoury fruit, a little firmness still on the finish but with lovely silky tannins too. Good with lamb shank; should benefit from another few years' bottle age. Half-bottle £9.25 (image = the Wine Society).
Labels:
Cava,
Chardonnay,
Greco,
Grenache blanc,
Grillo,
Lisboa,
Macabeu,
Malbec,
Pinot Noir,
Riesling,
Rioja Reserva,
rosé,
Roussanne,
Roussillon
22 December 2021
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. This tasty 'commercial' example is made by one of the region's biggest (if not the) co-operative wineries...
Labels:
Alsace,
Amontillado,
Chardonnay,
Côtes Catalanes,
Gewurztraminer,
Grillo,
Hemel-en-Aarde,
Leyda Valley,
Limarí,
Macon-Lugny,
Marsanne.,
Muscat,
organic,
Paarl,
Pinot Noir,
Rancio,
Roussanne,
Sherry,
Sicilia,
Viognier
01 November 2021
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).
Labels:
Alentejo,
Aragonez,
Castelão,
Garnacha,
Grenache,
Grillo,
Moschofilero,
Navarra,
Peloponnese,
Roditis,
Roussillon,
Sardinia,
Sicily,
Syrah,
Vermentino
19 October 2021
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.
03 October 2021
Bubbly of the moment: Cava
Frankly, almost always more interesting than Prosecco (unless you pay for some of the top names), here are five Catalan fizz favourites enjoyed in recent times.
Vilarnau Rosé Brut Reserva (12% abv) - Toasty, red-fruity and full-flavoured, this delicious Cava Rosado is based on Garnacha (Grenache) and Pinot Noir. Tesco was 'clearing' it out for £8 (it's gone already)...
Labels:
Cava
17 September 2021
France, Roussillon: Domaine of the Bee
This is the first full update on Roussillon wine producers since I published my book on the region (did I mention it already?! Click there for details), focusing on new vintages and releases from wineries featured in the book, and potentially any new-to-me places that would then be slotted into the winery guide sections for a future edition. Domaine of the Bee was tentatively launched in 2004 (some old vines purchased) by Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, wife Amanda and business partner Philippe Sacerdot.
Labels:
Carignan,
Cotes Catalanes,
English sparkling wine,
Grenache,
Maury sec,
Roussillon
06 August 2021
Bubbly and white wines of the moment
Photo from saint-chinian.pro |
Château Viranel Intuition blanc 2020 Saint-Chinian Languedoc (60% Grenache blanc, 15% Roussanne, 20% Vermentino, 5% Bourboulenc, 13.5% abv): This delicious mix of southern French grape varieties undergoes a modest 15% of the blend fermented in barrels (and all the better for it) with the completed wine stored and stirred on the yeast-lees for three months to maximise flavour and texture.
Labels:
Bourboulenc,
Chardonnay,
Glera,
Grenache blanc,
Macabeo,
Macabeu,
Parellada,
Pinot Meunier,
Pinot Noir,
Roussanne,
Saint Chinian,
Vermentino,
Viognier,
Xarello
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Header image: Château de Flandry, Limoux, Languedoc. Background: Vineyard near Terrats in Les Aspres, Roussillon.