Wine and tourism course Perpignan 15-27 July 2007

Perpignan University (in the Roussillon, about 200 km north of Barcelona) is laying on an intensive 60-hour wine and tourism diploma course, as well as a more laid-back cultural stay program. The former includes lectures, tasting tuition and winery visits; the latter a bit of wine combined with historical stuff etc. The diploma costs €800 and the culture trip €360, both excluding accommodation which can be booked at the same time for a reasonable price. More info and booking on-line on the University of Perpignan website. Oh, make sure you bring "some sort of hat" as it can be rather hot in July.

Roussillon: Vignobles Bernard Magrez, Montner

Winery & vineyard mogul (cum-brand-collector) Magrez owns or is a partner (with larger than life actor Gérard Dépardieu in the Languedoc) in 35 vineyards around the world, including this relatively recent foothold in the Roussillon (I visited in May 2007). He bought and tastefully refurbished (despite his gigantic signature across the front) the old co-op cellar in the sleepy village of Montner, located between Estagel and Millas, across the road from the worth-checking-out Auberge du Cellier restaurant/chambres d'hôte. Their first vintage was 2002, when they only had eight ha / 20 acres to play with; they now have 43 ha planted with mostly red varieties (as you might expect in ascending order: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre) and five ha of white grapes (Muscat à petits grains, Macabeu and Grenache Blanc). “We acquired producing vineyards and grafted most of the white varieties over to Syrah,” Jean-Marc Raynal (Magrez's production director in southern France and Spain) explained. Making VDN sweet wines doesn't appeal, as it's “not group policy,” and reds are clearly their focus, although Jean-Marc believes in the potential for interesting dry white blends, like many other leading estate owners.
“Bernard Magrez is very attached to the Languedoc and Roussillon,” he added, “the wines fit in with his global range... And Roussillon perhaps has a better quality image than the Languedoc (which is an unusual point of view, often the other way round except for those in the know!), it has very different terroirs and varieties.” Nevertheless, they decided to take a clearer simpler approach by dropping the 'Villages AOC' and opting to label merely as Côtes du Roussillon, plus the 'Sud de France/South of France' generic term (which you'll be seeing more of) that features on their whole Languedoc and Roussillon range. I guess it also helps to have the governor's name on the label, as well as the backing of his distribution network. The BM Group is dabbling in various wine tourism ventures in Bordeaux but not in the Roussillon for the moment (shame), although they won't turn you away if you make an appointment!

2006 white (fermented in 'demi-muids', 400-600 litre capacity barrels) – lightly toasty v exotic apricot and honey notes, creamy yeasty mouth-feel showing weight and crisp length. Nice wine. 87-89
2004 'Si mon père savait', Côtes du Roussillon red (14.5%) - 'If my father knew': lovely pure fragrant black cherry and liquorice fruit, peppery and rustic undertones with vibrant blackcurrant edges; juicy fruit layered with background coco and choc oak, well balanced with tight fresh grip. Again nice style. 87-89
2004 'La Passion d'une vie' (15%) - richer colour and aromas with white pepper tones, similar fruit profile to above but more intense liquorice and berry notes; delicious palate of fruit, spice and a finer silky texture; power v elegance (despite high alcohol), juicy fruit v finesse, good length. 90-92

Grande Rue, 66720 Montner. Tel: 04 68 80 24 81, www.bernard-magrez.com

Roussillon: Camp del Roc, Montalba-le-Château

I can't find any info on Philippe Botet's winery (you should see my desk: I have a tech sheet hidden somewhere... I also can't find a website either), so here are a few comments on his eclectic wines at least, tasted at the Fenouillèdes wine show held in April 2007 in Tautavel.

Update to follow: looks like someone else has been running/owning the show since 2008 - Julien and Emmanuelle Montagnon - and there is a new site: campdelroc.com

2004 Singularis blanc (Carignan Blanc) - unusual spicy celery notes v light cream, still has some freshness v fat fruit. 85-87
2006 Rosé de Presse - a bit strange, goes into barriques: surprisingly has lots of lively strawberry and raspberry fruit v rounded coconut palate; kinda works. 87
2006 Roc Petit (Carignan Lledoner Pelut Syrah) - nice crunchy fruit with light vanilla undertones, grippier finish than you think it's going to be. By the way, Lledoner Pelut is a natural mutation of black Grenache: there's a bit here and there in the Roussillon. 87
2005 Vinum Patris, Côtes du Roussillon (Carignan Lledoner Pelut Cinsault) - quite a bit of oak but nice fruit too and freshness underneath, textured dry tannins v ripeness; not sure about that oak though. 87
2005 Erant Olim (100 year old Tempranillo) - a bit baked on the nose, leads on to quite rich fruit with an oaky backdrop; has a 'modern' Catalunya/Navarra edge, nice texture but too much oak.
2005 La Frontera (Syrah) - lots of spicy oak, nice ripe fruit and texture, firm but fine grained. We'll see.
66130 Montalba-le-Château. Tel: 04.68.35.22.54.