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Listed in alphabetical order
(ignoring Mas, Domaine, Chateau, Clos, La, des etc). As most of these producers are
one-man/woman bands or hubby&wife operations, it's best to email or ring in
advance if you want to tour, talk and taste with the owner/winemaker. Otherwise
you might find the only one at home is the faithful winery dog! If calling from
outside France, add 0033 and drop the first 0. Also includes
my favourites from these wine shows: Fenouillèdes 2007-2009, Millésime Bio 2008-2010 and Vinisud 2008.
On this page:
Department 66 and Domaine/Mas Depeyre, Deveza,
Edre,
Éléphant, Enfants, Enfants Sauvages,
Fées, Ferrer-Ribière, Fontanel,
Força Réal, Fou,
Gardiès, Gauby, Hylari,
Jones,
Jorel, Lafage, Laguerre,
Lavail.
The rest: Roussillon 1: A to C
Roussillon 3: M to R Roussillon 4: S to Z
 Department 66
During the meanwhile, see my article "Strange goings-on in
Maury"
for a bit of background.
Tasting notes to follow when I go there again...
Route de Cucugnan, 66460 Maury.
Domaine
Depeyre
Brigitte
Bile and Serge Depeyre set up shop just five years ago (2002: I
visited in April 07) and now command 12 ha/30 acres in two main
blocks overlooking
Cases
de Pène and Espira, and Vingrau.
Some of their
Mourvèdre
is 90 years old and there is still the odd Carignan vine here
that they believe to be “about 200!” That's what I
call old vines. All the plots that used to churn out fruit for
VDN wines have been, or are being, replanted with red varieties.
Brigitte told me: “we aren't interested in making sweet
wines but have added some Muscat to make dry white.” You'll
(have) notice(d) various points of view in this guide on the
'tyrant' Syrah versus Grenache, Carignan etc. and its place in
the Roussillon. While the region should arguably focus on the
latter grapes to distinguish itself from, say, the Languedoc;
there is some damn good Syrah produced in certain sites. Brigitte
certainly believes “Syrah is better suited than Grenache
here, and we've also planted more Mourvèdre.” Serge
and Brigitte are concentrating on exporting their wines –
and most of it to our red wine obsessed Belgian friends –
but you can buy the wines below in good local wine merchants in
e.g. Perpignan, Prades or Argeles. However, they have plans to do
up her father's old cellar into an on-site shop...
2005 Cuvée Depeyre
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50% Syrah
plus Grenache Carignan) - light chocolate and spice
tones, floral black cherry fruit on top; elegant tight palate, quite closed
(this was only bottled 2 months before I tasted it, so it should have opened up
a bit now) and fresh, chunky fruit and tannins yet finely textured. Could be
good. €8.50 87-89
2004
Cuvée
Ste-Colombe Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre)
- displaying more oak but has lovely juicy black fruits as well, elegant v
concentrated with the 14.5% alcohol well integrated; lusher fruit than above v
light choc oak on a tight, lively and solid framework. Sainte Colombe is sourced
from a 2 ha/5 acre parcel at higher altitude (200-300 metres/800 feet). €13.50
89-91
1 rue Pasteur, 66600
Cases de Pène.
Tel: 04 68 28 32 19, brigitte.bile@orange.fr.
 Domaine
Deveza
Run by Chantal Deveza, who also has an on-site holiday gite, this was yet
another new estate showing their first vintage (2008) at the Fenouillèdes wine fair in late April 2009 (Tautavel).
And yet another one making tasty white wine, convincing me further that the Roussillon is
very much more than a one, or two, trick pony (not that I needed that much
convincing). Deveza's website was still being
built in the summer, when I posted my tasting notes below, so I'll add more
detail as and when I have it (Estagel here we come...)
2008 Harmonie white vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (mostly Grenache gris)
- with 6 months in cask: subtle coconut notes & texture vs perfumed apricot
fruit, juicy yet rounded mouthfeel; attractive well-made style.
87+
2008 Mélodie rosé (Syrah/Grenache)
- bright lively and elegant style rather than fruity-fruity, refreshing dry
finish. 80-85
2008 Côtes du Roussillon red (Grenache/Carignan/Syrah)
- a tad reduced on the nose, moving on to lively
juicy fruit with crunchy berry flavours; finishes with more structured, punchy
and spicy mouthfeel. 85-87
2008 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah/Grenache/Carignan,
vat sample) - also a touch reduced (should go away); nice tight framework and
bite vs juicy fruit, quite long and subtle. 87-89
Rue Mendes-France, 66310 Estagel. Tel: 04 68
29 15 60 / 06 09 79 77 23, domainedeveza@orange.fr,
www.domainedeveza.com.
 Domaine de l'Edre
Pascal Dieunidou and Jacques Castany are almost "old-timers" (relative to the
many young-gun estates now around, I mean), having joined forces and vineyards in the Vingrau area
eight years ago. 2002 was the first year they decided to take the winemaking
plunge and actually make their own wine (one), although they've both had a few
plots of vines for longer than that and previously delivered their grapes to the
local co-op. Jacques' father also used to be a co-op grower and Pascal started
"lending a hand" (as it says on their site, see link below) tending a friend's
vineyard in 1999. And it all took off from there, as the story goes... Edre does
have a pretty good reputation among in-the-know fans of small-production
Roussillon wines, and my notes seem to confirm that. They now make two red
blends and a very good white too. I tasted two vintages of one of the reds back
in October 2009:
2007 "Carrément rouge" Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah/Grenache/Carignan
15%) - herbal funky edges on the nose underlined by spicy Syrah-dominated fruit;
ripe liquorice flavours vs firm dry texture, pretty powerful finish but it's
concentrated. 88(+)
2008 "Carrément rouge" - spicy minty aromas vs gorgeous lush fruit and
mouthfeel, juicy and dark finishing with attractive "sweet" yet savoury profile.
Yum. 90
And previously, tasted at the 6th Fenouillèdes
wine show 2006:
2005 Côtes du Roussillon
blanc - yeasty and fat start leads to fresh mineral poise,
crisp and dry v rich mouth-feel. 87-89
2004 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Grenache Carignan)
- rich vibrant blackberry fruit with chocolate oak texture, firm closed up
finish but it reveals more with a little aeration, dense and powerful
(14.5%) yet
has nice bite too. Needs time. 87-89
81 rue du Maréchal Joffre, 66600 Vingrau.
By appointment only, phone numbers are on
www.edre.fr or
email pdieuni@wanadoo.fr.
 Domaine
de l'Éléphant
This newish, apparently Indian-owned estate (hence the name) is made up of vineyard parcels in three
lofty village sites (between 250 and 300 metres = c. 900 feet altitude) around Vingrau (spectacularly pictured), Opouls and Espira-de-l’Agly. Resident
winery manager
Philippe Cambie is working with the well-known consultants Michel Tardieu and
Renaud Chastagnol and is implementing organic farming and "low-intervention"
winemaking techniques. One to watch perhaps, although they've embarked on a
silly-money pricing strategy from the start at €28 and €36 for these two wines
respectively, tasted at the Fenouillèdes wine fair in April 2009. Their US importer is Bourgeois Family Selections in North Carolina
(hover over pic. for web details).
2007 Estima Vinifera white (Grenache gris/Grenache blanc/Macabeu) -
lightly toasty with creamy yeast-lees undertones, exotic fruit vs fresh bite and
14% weight although it's well balanced / handled. 87
2007 Elephant red (Grenache/very-old Carignan)
- rather vanilla & coconut oaky but underneath it seems intense and rich with
cassis and liquorice flavours; shows subtle concentration perhaps and lush
texture vs refreshing and quite stylish finish. Just bottled when I tried it so
we'll see if that oak blends in over time... 87-89
domaine.elephant@orange.fr
Domaine des Enfants
There are more children (see below too) found a little up the hill in Maury off the Cucugnan road
(almost next door to Dept 66): Swiss-owned Domaine des Enfants
is another
great-potential "start-up" estate. When I called by in late
2009, Marcel Bühler was brewing up
his third vintage in his compact
cellar, formerly owned by Serge Rousse (of the sadly defunct Domaine
Terre Rousse), gleaned from 20 ha
/ 50 acres split across seven sites (Maury, Caramany, Latour-de-France
among others) with alarmingly low final yields of eight hl/ha. "We
pick late then really select through (the fruit)," Marcel clarified, "we
must've chucked away a quarter of it this year. Everything's very manual
as the vineyards are old, so I've got two horses... No herbicides are used
and I'm going for organic certification in 2010."
Marcel's background was in Zurich
banking; he then studied winegrowing/making at Germany's esteemed
Geisenheim university. "I looked (at vineyards) in the Languedoc, in the
Montpeyroux and Pic St-Loup areas, and Priorat and elsewhere in Spain...
but it was all too expensive. Then I stopped off in the Roussillon and met
Jean Pla (proprietor of
Le Pichenouille wine shop & restaurant in Maury
and vineyard land broker)..." Dom des Enfants wines are mostly sold in
Switzerland and Germany at the moment, by (e)mail order or at Jean's place above. Marcel, like
other newcomers aiming high, has priced the wines at a pretty ambitious level:
€18, €36 and €55. For those who can afford, they are very good it has to be said
- all these were tank or barrel samples:
2008 Les Enfants Perdus (Carignan,
Syrah, Grenache,
Lladoner Pelut) - lifted currant and berry notes,
floral and spicy turning to liquorice; subtle oak backdrop vs lovely fruit then nice
fresh bite. 87+
2008 Carignan - oakier but it's lush
vs spicy with chocolate tannins, pretty concentrated and powerful wrapped
in nice rounded and pure finish. 89+
2008 Grenache - meatier and more
savoury with very ripe liquorice and black pepper undertones; subtle oak
again adding texture vs intense black fruits, power and chocolate oak
finish although that should blend in nicely. 90+
2008 Syrah - very dark and spicy nose
with wild herb / minty edges; very concentrated and intense, fleshy vs dry
texture. Yum. 90+
Varietals for the "mid to top wines... with 14 to 16 months in barrel":
2008 Carignan - even more intense,
crunchy and spicy fruit with the oak more upfront but layered with lovely
rich blueberry and liquorice. 91+
2008 Syrah - toastier with more
chocolate but again has superb fruit, pure and spicy with ripe dark vs
savoury touches; fair oomph and tasty tannins on its impressive length.
92+
2008 Grenache - more floral with "garrigue"
notes vs chocolate texture, again delicious intense liquorice, pepper and
dark berries; more elegant than the above perhaps.
92+
2008 white (Carignan blanc,
Grenache gris, Grenache
blanc, Macabeu) - honeyed and flowery
with very light toast, rounded and exotic vs spicy; quite big vs
refreshing bite, attractive clean finish. 87+
And this red over lunch at the abovementioned Pichenouille in November 09:
2007 Les Enfants Perdus (14.5%) - oaky at first turning rich and tasty
with bite vs rounded mouthfeel and power, that dark chocolate oak melts in
after a bit; well-made, concentrated and chunky but not overblown at all.
89+
Route de Cucugnan, 66460 Maury:
www.domaine-des-enfants.com.
 Domaine
les Enfants Sauvages
The "wild children," AKA Carolin and Nikolaus Bantlin and sons (not
so savage really), have a little winery/cellar underneath and
adjoining their house up the hill in the village of Fitou itself,
but the wild-child
vineyards lie just over the 'border' in the Roussillon. Hence "you
know it makes sense" to double-profile them on this page as well
filing them under
Corbières & Fitou
(the same blurb I'm afraid). Carolin and Nikolaus' story is the
kind-of love story I've written about before on this site, but I
certainly don't mind telling it again. They fell in love with a
beautiful place frozen in time, which was the catalyst for leaving
their native Germany and settling in the area as soon as they could.
So, in 1999 they bought some old vineyards surrounded by dry scented
scrubland a few kilometres inland from Fitou and an elderly house in
the village, which was refitted in 2004 to accommodate a new cellar.
Right from the start, like many young couples from elsewhere turned
independent growers, they decided to nurture the eight ha (20 acres)
of vines that "came with the land" as naturally as possible, using
that "new-old approach" as they call it and by extension a
minimalist winemaking touch as well. As their goal was to be
certified organic (they are, as well as practising certain
biodynamic methods), they realised - encouraged by
Olivier Pithon
among others - it didn't make a lot of sense to carry on being co-op
growers (2001-2) and waving goodbye to their treasured grapes once
picked. So, they took the plunge, went back to school and fused a
mini-winery into their home, as I said. Good job too, otherwise
these lovely wines (notes below) might not ever have seen the light
of day. All
the promising 2008s were tasted from vat or barrel (unfinished obviously)
in March 2009.
2008 Carignan blanc - attractive
fresh acid structure, tight and long palate; the barrel fermentation
doesn't overpower it at all.
2008 Grenache blanc - slightly
more exotic fruit aromas, again fresh tight and long in the mouth
with a tad of light coconut flavour / texture.
2008 Grenache gris - fatter and
peachier with apricot notes too vs nice taut mouthfeel and
framework.
2008 Grenache
rosé (barrel-fermented) - rounded and full-bodied rather
than overtly fruity, long dry finish. Unusual.
2008 Carignan (60%+)
Grenache
Mourvèdre
blend - six days
maceration with foot-treading. Delicious black fruits and spice,
firm framework on the mouth, fresh with lively fruit and attractive
tannins. Lovely.
2008 Carignan (90%)
Syrah - more perfumed with enticing blueberry fruit,
'sweet' and ripe vs tangy and tight, rounded tannins again.
2006 Roi des Lézards (Carignan
Grenache
Mourvèdre
14%) - nice
"vinous" fruit and mouthfeel (wine like!) with very light chocolate
/ coconut texture; cherry and black olive notes, turning savoury &
leathery vs vibrant and refreshing, solid yet rounded finish. Yum.
€12 88-90
Muscat Vin Doux Naturel - very
aromatic orange peel and grape nose; zingy and zesty with lovely
fresh bite vs quite sweet and lush. 87+
10-12 rue Gilbert Salamo, 11510 Fitou.
Tel: 04 68 45 69 75,
www.les-enfants-sauvages.com.
 Clos des Fées
The
philosophy behind Hervé Bizeul's cult estate and wines is
refreshingly simple, upheld by a quiet-spoken man who claims to
have been “surprised by the world fame.” You'll find more
notes on three of his wines
here,
plus the wines below tasted in his cellar in April 2007 during
the
Fenouillèdes wine show. Hervé “didn't want to have a stand
and hog the limelight,” believing there are other exciting
discoveries in the Roussillon. Hervé, a restaurateur and
wine writer in previous lives (his blog is an interesting read)
said: “I'm very attached to the idea of a vigneron working
their terrain. AOC doesn't need to develop, we just need to aim
to make hand-crafted wines at a very high level.” He tries
to “search for and retain the fruit to make rich,
Mediterranean, flavoursome wines traditional to this area.”
First and foremost, Hervé thinks he “makes wine for
myself, then I work out how to manage the different plots and
varieties” according to that principle. The ideal is making
wines that can be drunk from “5 to 12 years old, except la
Petite Sibérie.” He sells about 40% of production in
France and spends a lot of time promoting Clos des Fées
around the world, where his wines have become very sought-after.
Hence those prices: easy to criticise although it's a whole
different argument, and who can knock someone who's earned such a
reputation?
2005
white (old
vine
Grenache
Blanc)
– pretty toasty nose gives way to a honeyed v mineral
personality, lightly oxidised creamy and nutty style finishing
with subtle freshness v weight too.
87
2005
Les Sorcières,
Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache
Carignan Syrah)
– sort of reduced on the nose showing pungent or herbal
black cherry fruit, a touch of chocolatey oak on the palate
backed up by ripe fruit, fresh bite and light tannins. It loses
that smell after a few minutes (Hervé adds CO2 for some
reason). €10
87
2004
Vieilles Vignes,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Carignan Syrah)
– quite savoury with liquorice notes, rich and aromatic;
fairly firm and tight framework offering power and concentration,
yet lively too on its good length. €25
90-92
2004
Le Clos des Fées de Hervé Bizeul,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages – rather a lot of coco
oak otherwise it's closed up; power and almost chalky texture, it
is long and firm v sweet fruit but just too oaky at the moment...
€50
2004
La Petite Sibérie,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (100%
Grenache,
technically not allowed for AOC but who cares) – the best
fruit sourced from a “mono-parcel,” as our man calls
it, presumably a 'cool' site. Again, it has plenty of smoky oak
but it's much richer with liquorice Grenache purity and very ripe
black cherry fruit; weighty 15%+ alcohol which doesn't really
shout out, surprisingly, with a lovely coating of sweet fruit and
coconut to finish. By the way, this wine would cost up to a
breathtakingly expensive €200
a bottle, if you can find any.
92-94
2005
red blend
vat sample – obviously oaky but has lovely lush fruit too,
quite fine actually while commanding and with attractive
texture.
2005
Clos des Fées vat
sample – similarly, there's lots of coco oak although shows
attractive burst of fruit and the trademark power; finishes with
fine fresh tannins. Needs a few months at least to round out and
let that oak melt in more, which it carries better than the
2004.
1999
Clos des Fées – developing
leather and spice tones, red pepper notes too plus roasted
coffee, complex aromas; still quite firm with leather and nice
meaty side, long finish.
92-94
69
Rue Maréchal Joffre, 66600 (ominous postcode!)
Vingrau.
Tel: 04 68 29 40 00, info@closdesfees.com,
www.closdesfees.com.
 Domaine
Ferrer-Ribière
Set up in 1993,
Denis Ferrer and Bruno Ribière are the partnership (not forgetting their
wives of course) behind this slightly elevated (up to 250 metres / 800 feet
altitude) estate - hence their original tag "terroirs des Hautes Aspres" (not
heard that one before) - that spreads across different plots around the villages
of Terrats and Fourques. Over 40 ha / 100 acres are now tended organically with
2010 being the landmark vintage as their first to be officially "certified"
(where's that straight-jacket...). These two down-to-earth guys make quite a
wide range of wine styles, from classic to quirky, at different qualities and
prices; so, there should be something for everyone here. I tasted these at
Millésime Bio show in January 2010 in Montpellier:
2008 Grenache blanc Empreinte du
Temps, Vin de Pays Catalan - nutty fino like nose and palate; peachy and lightly
toasty flavours vs mineral streak, bit of rounded weight too. €9
87
2008 "F" Vin de Pays Catalan (Carignan,
Grenache) - delicious juicy cherry, cassis, blueberry and
liquorice fruit; tasty and crunchy palate making it an attractive quaffer. €5
85+
2007 Carignan Empreinte du Temps, Vin de
Pays Catalan - quite elegant and tight in style showing sweet/savoury notes;
quite concentrated actually with firm, spicy and leather-tinged finish. €10
87-89
2006 Cana Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah)
- pretty concentrated and chunky with wood spice tones; maturing vs tight palate
with attractive texture and fruit underneath.
€16 88+
20 Rue du Colombier, 66300 Terrats. Tel: 04 68 53 24 45,
www.vinsferrerribiere.com.
Domaine Fontanel
Laid-back Pierre and Marie-Claude Fontaneil (not a spelling mistake) have 25 ha
(62 acres) around Tautavel,
where their small yet soon-to-expand winery is found, and 10 ha (25 acres) in
the village commune of Maury. I like those traditional village cellars found on
a narrow residential street like any other, where you just walk in as if you
were going into a large garage. The domaine was set up in 1989, before that the
two families were cooperative growers. Their focus is red, mostly
Roussillon AOC wines, producing around 10,000
cases in total per year, 80% of which is exported particularly to Asia and the
Far East. In the UK, the wines are listed by Stone, Vine & Sun and Indigo Wine.
Tasted 5th Sept 2006:
2004 Côtes du Roussillon rouge (Grenache Syrah Carignan,
14%) - smoky black cherry with minty notes, elegant fruit despite fair
concentration and weight, tight fresh finish v dry coating of tannins.
87
2003 Tradition Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Syrah Carignan, 13.5%) - firm and a bit closed up, subtle ripe fruit
underneath; attractive tannin texture, needs 6-12 months to express itself as
it's concentrated and structured. 89+
2004 Prieuré Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (Syrah Mourvèdre
Grenache) - elegant perfumed nose and black cherry fruit, good grip and
length. 89-91
1997
Rivesaltes Ambré (Grenache blanc
& gris, 16.5%) - appealing mix of aged toffee notes and mature cheese
complexity, finishing with fresh long bite. 88-90
2002 Maury (Grenache, 16%) - deliciously
concentrated spicy blackberry and liquorice fruit, nice grip bite and power on
the finish; not so sweet. 90-92
25
Avenue Jean Jaurès, 66720
Tautavel (cellar
address, from April to October) or 37-39 Avenue du Docteur
Torreilles,
Estagel (shop
open all year round 10am to 7pm). Tel: 04 68 29 04 71, 04 68 29
45 21; domainefontanel@hotmail.com,
www.domainefontanel.com.
 Domaine Força Réal
The Henriquès
family's elevated hillside estate is accessed (and signposted)
off the road between Millas (behind the town over the river) and
Corneilla-la-Rivière; keep going up the track until you
find the elegant orange Mediterranean villa. A personal project
spanning over 15 years, Jean-Paul and now son Cyril have invested
a lot of energy and money into restoring vineyards (JP started
replanting in 1992), (re)building the house, a new underground
barrel cellar and tasting room cum visitor reception. The next
step is to offer chambres d'hôte when the villa has been
refitted. There are around 40 ha / 100 acres of vines in
production and 10 ha of olive trees (their extra virgin olive oil
is very tasty). Apart from the reds below I tasted in situ in May
2007, DFR produces quite fine Muscat de Rivesaltes and a
delicious barrel-matured 'Hors d'Age' style, which is great with
strongly flavoured cheeses or nut-based puddings. Most of their
wines are sold in export markets with the US and UK “really
beginning to take off,” I'm told (see their website for
distributors). More
Força
Réal wines
here.
2004
Mas de la Garrigue,
Côtes du Roussillon – nice ripe Grenache (it is
mostly) fruit layered with black cherry and rustic peppery notes;
attractive tight fresh palate, dry grip v fruity softness. €5
87
2005
Domaine de
Força
Réal,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (14.5%) – more closed up
with hints of chocolatey wood plumped up with lush fruit, dry
tannins on its tight framework, power yet elegant too; not
showing that much at the moment, it needs a few months to a year
to express itself. €10
89+
2003
Les Hauts de Força Réal,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (80%
Syrah +
Mourvèdre
Grenache)
– smoky blackberry fruit with subtle coco oak, maturing
rustic liquorice edges; dry structured finish v Black Forest
gateau sweetness, elegant length and style. €15-€20
90-92
Mas
de la Garrigue, 66170
Millas.
Tel: 04 68 85 06 07,
www.forcareal.com.
Domaine de la Fou
Hélène
and Christian Meunier are the third generation to farm their 11
ha / 28 acre wine estate lying at 260m (850 feet) altitude on the
slopes around St-Paul, in the wilder-still northwestern corner of
Roussillon Villages country. These four wines were tasted at the
Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007:
2006
L'Impossible
Muscat sec,
vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes – fresh and crisp
with grape aromas and flavours, fuller creamier palate; nice
style. €7
87
2006
white barrique-fermented (barrel
sample:
Grenache
Gris Macabeu Chardonnay)
– lightly toasty with milky mouth-feel, exotic apricot
fruit, full and rounded.
87
2004
La Clue,
vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (Carignan
Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre)
– tobacco and violet tones on top of black cherry and smoky
liquorice, nice fruit v grip and fresh finish. €7
87-89
2004
Ricochet,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan
Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre)
– similar profile to above although lusher, tobacco edges
on a sweet v savoury palate, attractive weight and power. €9
89
Chemin
de Bayra (cellar), tasting/shop: 28 Avenue du 16 Août 1944,
66220
Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet.
Tel/fax: 04 68 59 11 62, mobile: 06 12 54 94 07,
domainedelafou@wanadoo.fr
Domaine
Gardiès
Jean
Gardiès has come a long way since his first vintage in 1993. The newly built (I
visited in April 2007), elegant wooden winery looks stunning lost in the
beautiful wild vine-lands above Espira de l'Agly. In common with several leading
estates,
Gardiès' attention has turned more recently towards planting white varieties, as
he believes there's a promising future for high quality Roussillon white wines
(I tend to agree by and large). Having said that, most of the estate's 30-35 ha
(75 acres) are planted with all the region's usual red suspects (see notes
below), and Jean has had particular success with Mourvèdre in this neck of the
woods.
He's also mastered how to make really nice dry Muscat - not necessarily a given
unless you grow it differently and vinify carefully - and still produces a fair
bit of Rivesaltes VDN styles. "These sweet wines are a difficult sell outside of
France, which is a pity as it's a unique tradition to the Roussillon." Jean's
focus is export, although is happy to meet wine enthusiasts at the winery by
appointment, increasingly finding "a knock-on effect: the more Roussillon wines
there are out there, the greater the demand. But it's still hard persuading
distributors to take on our wines." The domaine is in the process of organic
certification, but Jean isn't especially interested in using this as the main
thrust. "The wine still has to be good... just like whether it's appellation or
vin de pays, you shouldn't need it on the bottle to sell it." Indeed, the proof
is in the pudding as that quaintly bizarre English expression has it.
2006 Mas Las Cabes Muscat sec - nice Muscat
freshness and grapey style, zingy mineral notes v creamier mouth-feel (he leaves
it on its yeast-lees for 5 months); light elegant length v fatter fruit.
87
2005 Les
Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Roussillon blanc (60% 70+ year old
Grenache Blanc 35% Grenache Gris 5% Macabeu)
- lovely apricot and white peach fruit with toasty edges, creamy v fruity; oak
well done as it has freshness too. 88
2005 Les Millères Côtes du Roussillon Villages (40 Grenache
35 Syrah 20 Carignan
5 young Mourvèdre) - attractive ripe black cherry
and liquorice fruit with herbal edges, soft and round v fresh dry bite.
87-89
2005
Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (70%
60-80 year old Grenache and Carignan,
20 Syrah 10 Mourvèdre)
- a bit more oak but not much, firmer with more bite v sweetness of fruit,
closes up a bit on the finish; elegant, again subtle oak.
89-91
2005
La Torre Côtes du Roussillon Villages (70% Mourvèdre
20 Grenache 10 Carignan)
- youthful fruit with quite spicy coco oak up-front, concentrated and powerful;
firm and less open on the finish with underlying ripe rounded texture.
90
2005 Les Falaises Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel (45% Syrah
40 Grenache
15 Carignan) - more perfumed and floral, quite a
bit of chocolate oak but very concentrated sweet fruit underneath; powerful with
coating of solid tannins, big finish. Needs 6-12 months to harmonize.
90-92
2005 Flor Muscat de Rivesaltes - still
lively with floral honey, apricot notes and orange peel tang; nice bite v
sweetness, the alcohol is well integrated. 87-89
1995 Rivesaltes Ambré (95% 70+ year old
Grenache Blanc 5% Muscat) - gorgeous toasted
hazelnut and toffee nose, concentrated and complex coffee and pecan flavours;
the sweetness melts into its tangy aged fruit, lovely length and style.
90-92
Chemin de Montpins, 66600 Espira-de-l'Agly. Tel: 04 68 64 61 16,
gardies.jean@wanadoo.fr,
www.domaine-gardies.fr.
 Domaine Gauby
An intimate party of us was treated to a delicious, and
ample, dinner at La Galinette, one of Perpignan's top restaurants, on 5th
September 2006, where Gérard Gauby and his son Lionel (who's gradually taking
over more of the day to day vineyard and winery work) talked about their wines
and values (text updated following a visit in March 2007). Gérard said the decisive moment for going organic (1996), then fully
biodynamic
in 2001,
came "when I found a hundred dead birds in the vineyard after disinfecting the
soil (I'm afraid growers do sometimes do this, which doesn't of course only kill off
the bad bugs etc.)...we couldn't carry on like that anymore. Our production
costs are now huge but the philosophy's more important." They have seven
employees plus the family and up to 50 people at vintage time. Fortunately for
him, he's now built up enough of a reputation to charge ample prices to off-set
those costs. The grapes for the following
white wines are grown at 450-600 metres (+1500 feet) and retain fresh
acidity:
2004 Vieilles Vignes blanc, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (40% Macabeu
30% Grenache Blanc 15%
Chardonnay 10% Grenache Gris 5%
Carignan Blanc) - lovely crispness and intensity with 'real cider' flavours,
turns creamier and more honeyed than le Soula (below) with very light toast,
concentrated v crisp finish. 90
2004 Le Soula blanc, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - very intense mineral
notes and aromatic appley flavours, crisp and fresh v fatter 'sweeter' finish.
87+
Domaine Gauby now comes to 48 hectares (120 acres, 30-odd ha of vines) including trees and wild
vegetation, which are an integral part of the diverse terrain, in the rocky hills
around the village of Calce. On average they make 80-100,000 bottles per year so
obviously yields are small: "I'd like to average 20 hl/ha (a bit more than 1 ton
per acre) but we often get less from some parcels," Gérard claims. He believes that Carignan,
Grenache and Mourvèdre are "the great varieties of the future... but I don't
really care about the grape: I want real wine from real terroir." The irony of
biodynamic viticulture is that "by seeking simplicity it gets more complicated."
However, in this globalized world, "we don't want to do a McDonald's!"
he quipped. To give just one example of the importance of preserving
biodiversity, after the fruit passes over the sorting table, any
insects that fall through are returned to the vineyard to restore a good mix of
natural predators. Lucky bugs.
2002 Coume Gineste blanc (50% Grenache Blanc
50% Grenache Gris) - smoky toasted apples on the nose with crisp
length and lovely acidity, very nice with the tuna dish.
2003 Le Soula rouge - earthy cassis notes, firm tannins yet elegance too,
black cherry finish and again showing attractive freshness (particularly for
heatwave 2003).
2003 Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Roussillon Villages (40% very old
Carignan
35%
Grenache
10%
Syrah 15%
Mourvèdre)
- complex earthy
black cherry and rhubarb tones, deliciously sniffable; lovely subtle richness
then tight and fresh finish (the Gauby hallmark), light bite of tannins with
power yet refined length. 90+
2003 Muntada Côtes du Roussillon Villages (40% very old
Carignan
30%
Grenache
20%
Syrah 10%
Mourvèdre) - a bit stinky, not sure what
that is (sulphide notes?) but it dissipates with aeration revealing more morello/blackcurrant;
very concentrated with dry grip yet has textured smoky fruit and as usual
intense bite and length. 92+
The full range is imported into the UK by Richards Walford, who's the
joint-owner of Domaine Soula.
March 2007: I interviewed Gérard in his 4x4 while touring around the
entire, bumpy and scenic estate. Following on from what he said above, he's actually removing
some Syrah, Muscat and "all early ripening varieties," which are less
suitable to the microclimate, terrain and their way of thinking. He believes
leading Roussillon growers should concentrate on wines based on 'grand cru'
sites, as the opportunity has been missed to create meaningful sub-zones on an
official level, thanks to local politics: "I make Côtes du Roussillon Villages
Gauby!" But he also declared a fondness for the vin de pays name Côtes Catalanes
(or better still just Catalan) and, like many, was annoyed that the VDP des
Fenouilledes was done away with, for silly bureaucratic reasons. Finally, Gérard's
reaction to the current "viticulture crisis": "the real crisis is a lack of wine
culture. We didn't use to make wines that were refreshing to drink. People had a pastis or whatever as an aperitif instead."
2005
vieilles vignes blanc, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (40% Macabeu
30% Grenache Blanc 15%
Chardonnay 10% Grenache Gris 5%
Carignan Blanc) - closed up at first, slowly revealing floral honeyed
fruit, light toast and rounded full palate v drinkable, lively and
stylish finish.
2003 Muntada Côtes du Roussillon Villages - open for 24 hours: rich smoky
and complex with liquorice, dried black cherries and herbs plus light leather;
sumptuous, lightly rustic yet elegant palate with lingering interesting
flavours, firm integrated tannins and balanced length.
92-94
La Muntada, 66600 Calce. Tel: 04.68.64.35.19,
info@domainegauby.fr;
www.domainegauby.fr
Domaine
Hylari
Jean-Michel
and Isabelle Hylari are based in the village of Estagel, where
the micro-winemaking takes place in a cosy backstreet cellar, and
have another barrel cellar in nearby Tautavel (both northwest of
Perpignan). They concentrate on making small quantities of
distinctive reds, dry whites and complex fortified Rivesaltes:
cask-aged red Tuilé & 'white' Ambré styles as
well as youthful Muscat. Wines below sampled at the
Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007, and you'll find more by clicking
here or
here with my notes on previous vintages.
2005
Muscat sec
– still fresh
and mineral, ripe fruity palate v zingy elegant and long.
85-87
2004
Fûts de Chêne,
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah
Grenache Mourvèdre)
– ripe smoky plum and liquorice fruit with a light touch of
oak, rounded and full with lively bite of tannins and acidity on
its attractive length.
90-92
2004
Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah
Grenache Mourvèdre)
– similar ripe smoky plum and black cherry fruit, nice
juicy texture v dry grip and liquorice fruit, elegant too.
88-90
Hylari update: I
called in on Jean-Michel in early March 2009, who took me for a spin past some
of the 'new' vineyards he's purchased; actually a few old parcels between
Estagel and Maury (not far from Mas Amiel) packed with crumbly dark grey schist
and big pebbles. He's also been selectively replanting or re-trellising some
Syrah while maintaining treasured old Grenache (red and white) and Carignan.
Good to see he remains a fan of Mourvèdre, which plays a supporting role
in the intricate screenplay behind his quadruple-blend red wines. Jean-Michel is
also hoping that his son and daughter will get involved in the family estate,
not a given nowadays (young French people probably don't think there's any money
in wine, wonder where they get that idea from!), once they've finished their
studies to bring a new winemaking and marketing dimension perhaps.
2002 Vendanges d'Or et de Pierre Rivesaltes Ambré (old vine
Grenache gris & Macabeu,
16% + 85 grams/litre residual sugar) - complex 'cheesy' oxidising nose with
pecan nut notes, turning to toffee vs tangy walnut and Fino aromas/flavours;
lively punch with attractive sweet vs savoury texture and finish, beginning to
mellow nicely although has plenty of time ahead of it. Good with the foie
gras and Maury jelly we had at lunch (at Le Relais des Corbières/La Garrigue
in Saint-Paul de Fenouillet), making it taste lusher and more "late-harvest" in
style with delicious grapier finish. 90+
2005 "Coeur de Gamme" Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre)
– spicy fruit and background dark chocolate oak vs quite rich black fruit
cocktail; firm vs rounded mouthfeel with light vanilla and coconut tannins and
texture; perhaps slightly smokier, riper and more forward now, tasty and
well-made. 89
2005 "Haut de Gamme" Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache
Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre
from selected barrels) – quite similar at first, although you get the impression
it has firmer structure and is more concentrated / powerful ("there's no real
difference in alcohol strength or varietal blend," J-M confirmed, so it's all
down to nuances in barrique-ageing and arduous lot selection by tasting); very
attractive black cherry and liquorice fruit, perhaps showing better integration
of the wood with rounder mouthfeel despite its dry texture; again well-made and
-balanced, after a bit of aeration shows an enticing 'sweet vs savoury' finish
vs grip. Can be drunk now although no hurry. 90-92
12
Rue Urbain Paret, 66310
Estagel.
Tel: 04 68 29 01 21, mobile: 06 70 48 39 79;
isabelle.hylari@wanadoo.fr.
Domaine Jones
Coming soon-ish: read my "Strange goings-on in
Maury"
article for a taster...
 Domaine
Jorel
Manuel Jorel has seven organically farmed hectares, with three more undergoing
'conversion' (a three year monitored period without synthetic chemicals before
being officially certified, so to speak; not that I'm implying that organic
growers are mad!), around the village of St-Paul lying on the western side of
the stunningly raw Fenouillèdes
area. Jorel also makes a lovely Maury fortified VDN
wine as well as red & white Vins de Pays; probably because they only have some
superb old-vine Grenache (red and white varieties) and Carignan and no Syrah
(I'm guessing as I haven't been there yet), meaning the wines don't fit silly
AOC CDRV rules. Anyway, some of his cuvées have the name of the parcel it came
from, so you can't get much more terroir-ist than
that. This one was tasted at Millésime Bio wine show 2008 (Jan. 08
Perpignan):
2005 Pétaillat Vin de Pays des Pyrénées Orientales (Grenache)
- attractive 'sweet' and rich liquorice and tobacco aromas/flavours with quite
firm-tannined mouth-feel, lovely finish and style. €10
89-91
More Jorel wines here (Millésime Bio
2006).
28 Rue Arago, 66220 St-Paul de Fenouillet.
Tel: 04 68 59 19 31,
domainejorel@orange.fr,
www.fenouilledes-selection.com.
 Domaine Lafage
Eliane (nee Salinas)
and Jean-Marc Lafage have been at the helm of this expanding, tri-location
estate for a relatively short time (in the scheme of things), having both
travelled and worked at different wineries from California to Australia for a
few years beforehand. Overall, they now have 140 hectares (345 acres) of vineyards
across the Roussillon. More than half of them, planted primarily with Grenache blanc,
Muscat and Syrah, are located
between Perpignan and Canet overlooking the sea; the original Lafage family
estate which they took over from Jean-Marc's father in 2001. The winery has
since been
refitted and a cellar-cum-shop renovated next to it, where you can taste the
whole range (my first visit there and tasting of their wines - see below*
- was in October 2006).
Back in 1996, they'd already bought about 30 ha of
terraced vineyards called Le Vignon, near Tordères in central-southern Roussillon towards the mountains
in an area called Les Aspres. It was largely remodelled and is home to Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Marsanne and Muscat (see my October 2008 update
below). Continuing the altitude theme, they also have a few plots in the wilds
of the Agly valley, not far from Maury, planted with Muscat, Grenache and
Carignan. These very different terroirs,
to use the terrifying T word, allow them to fashion very good examples
of all the regional styles; from dry and sweet whites - including
one of the best, award-winning Chardonnays I've tried from round
this way - a tasty gourmet rosé, intricate reds such as
their Cuvée Léa to traditional aged
Vins
Doux Naturels.
2007 update: Waitrose (upmarket UK
supermarket chain) listed two of Lafage's red and white
Roussillon wines for their April/May 'showcase'; and I heard
rumours that they'd bought
Château
Saint Roch in Maury, but admittedly I wasn't able to
go along to a couple of recent events they put on so haven't
asked them what the latest is! Watch this space... Yes indeed,
Saint-Roch is being integrated into the Lafage empire.
*2005 Côté
Chardonnay - exotic honeyed nose (maybe some
botrytis in there?), full & creamy but not oaky,
quite rich fruit v fresh mineral intensity and very light coconut spice.
89+
*2005 Centenaire
Côtes du Roussillon
blanc (mostly Grenache Blanc) - quite complex
herbal honey and wild flower notes, nice freshness v weight and subtle spicy
wood. 87
*2005
Côté
Muscat sec - zippy and gummy, elegant grape and clementine flavours, nice
length and bite.
87
*2005 Parfum de Vignes Côtes du Roussillon rosé
- delicious floral red fruit cocktail, quite concentrated and chunky with fine
dry finish bathed in aromatic fruit. 87-89
*2003
Côté
Grenache noir (14.5%) - a bit cold and oxidised (been open for
a few days); however, it shows attractive liquorice and leather tones, powerful
mouth-feel yet not out of kilter thanks to some freshness and dry grip.
*2003
Cuvée Léa, Côtes du Roussillon
Les Aspres (Grenache
Syrah Carignan) -
interesting mixture of delicate smokiness and coconut v earthy yet ripe black
fruits; a touch of oak notes and texture balanced by sufficient fruit, power and
panache. 89-91
*2005 Grain de Vignes Muscat de Rivesaltes - lovely fresh fruit, once
again offering zesty bite v extract, not so sweet in the end.
87-89
*2003 Rimage Rivesaltes Tuilé (Grenache)
- quite closed up to start, meaty v black fruit undertones, tight and
concentrated with light oak texture v depth of sweet fruit; needs a few years to
mellow. 90-92
*1998 Vintage Rivesaltes (Grenache)
- appealing savoury maturity v fig and raisin richness, quite chunky tannins v
meaty fruit and sugar; drinking nicely now. 88-90
Lafage
update
October 2008
I was invited to clamber up the spectacularly located
Le Vignon to witness the makings of 2008 vintage Les Onze Terrasses,
their premium red wine sourced from selected parcels which are left until around
mid October before picking. The view really is magnificent from just above the
top of the vineyards, planted up to about 300 metres (950 feet), where you can
see the terraced contours rolling down the slope (pictured above) and all points
south (the Albères
hills along the border with Spain), east (the Med), north (the Corbières)
and, over the other side, Mont Canigou
west-ish.
Les
11 Terrasses is a blend of hand-selected Syrah (mostly),
Carignan and Grenache,
which are literally sorted grape by grape - removing any under- or over-ripe or
rotten berries - and put directly into 500 litre barrels in situ. A bit of a
publicity stunt perhaps, but there can't be many in the region making a red like
this. There were two barrels
this year the day I was there, but the quantity bottled of the 2005 suggests
three. Apparently these are left for ten days, taken to the cellar then
pressed down with wooden plungers and allowed to bubble away, with squashed whole berries
still
inside, for a further six to eight weeks before being emptied into a vat. After
pressing, the wine goes back into new barrels for about 20 months. The 2005 was
first released in Dec. 07, and 2006 will be available this Christmas; the
attractive modernist label is designed by local artist Patrick Loste. 'T 11' is
already sold in Belgium, Germany, Japan and the US, I'm told; I'll have to check
the price but I know it's suitably expensive!
2005
Les Onze Terrasses (15%) -
rather
chocolate oak dominated to start although has lovely black fruits lurking
underneath, gradually opens up to show depth, spicy intensity and purity; dark chocolate rounded texture
v freshness, black olive & ripe blueberry flavours. Despite the oak (I
can't help thinking they should take it out of barrel sooner), it does have
nice balance and some kind of elegance, surprisingly that high alcohol is quite well-integrated. Went well with black pudding,
saucisson and chorizo; a bit overpowering for the cured ham. Needs
a couple of years to express itself better. 90+
More Lafage here (2009 Saint-Bacchus awards).
Mas Miraflors, Route de Canet, 66000
Perpignan.
Tel: 04 68 80 35 82,
contact@domaine-lafage.com,
www.domaine-lafage.com.
 Domaine Laguerre
Eric
Laguerre (pic: doing his Vincent Cassel impersonation, for those
of you who follow French cinema...) makes organic wines with altitude... bad joke aside,
St-Martin is indeed a fairly elevated spot and hotbed of planting
activity (e.g. Gauby/Soula, who Eric works in partnership with
among others)
due to its potential as the place to grow and make 'cooler
climate' wine styles in this otherwise rather warm area (summer
at least, in winter it's one of the coldest around here). I believe wine
writer and biodynamic specialist
Monty Waldin has also been
spending a lot of time around here tending vines and making a
movie... more info on that when I next speak to him (update
2009: click on his name to see my mini-profile and comments on his 2008 vintage
wines)! Wines below sampled at the
Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007.
2005
Le 20 Côtes
du Roussillon blanc
(Macabeu
Marsanne Roussanne Rolle)
– lightly honeyed, fresh and floral with subtle milky
undertones; nice fruit on its more mineral finish.
87
2005
Le 20
Côtes du Roussillon rouge
(50%
Syrah
+
Grenache Carignan)
– peppery and rustic with black cherry tones, attractive
lively fruit then light grip and quite fine length.
87-89
2004
Le Ciste rouge vin
de pays Côtes Catalanes (Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache Carignan)
– a touch reduced on the nose, moves on to lively
blackcurrant styling with quite firm dry tannins, understated
weight and finish.
87-89
2005
Le Ciste blanc
vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Marsanne
Roussanne Macabeu Grenache Blanc Rolle)
– quite exotic with peach and apricot aromas, creamy with
very light toasty edges, weighty finish v freshness too.
89
2009
update: I caught up with Eric and tasted his latest vintages at Millésime
Bio wine show (Jan 09, Montpellier):
2007 Côtes
du Roussillon white
(Macabeu
Marsanne Roussanne
13%)
– nice natural crisp apple and mineral characters v a tad of yeast-lees texture
and style; weight v fresh finish. 85+
2006 Le Ciste white, Vin de pays Côtes Catalanes
(Macabeu
Marsanne Roussanne Vermentino)
– still very fresh, appley and real-cidery; 'stoney' steely notes and mouth-feel
v a touch of weight, roundness and 'sweetness'. 87+
2007 Eclipse red, Vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - a bit
reduced on the nose to start, moving on to smoky
thick spicy fruit with 'earthy' edges; has similar balance of power and
elegance, nice style. 87
2007
Côtes
du Roussillon "20" red - again ever-so lightly reductive on
the nose but not unattractively so; shows concentrated spicy Syrah black cherry
fruit, attractive bit of grip and fresh v lush fruity finish.
87+
2005 Le Ciste red, Vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - wilder richer
fruit, nice and smoky / peppery; powerful tannins layered with 'sweet' v herbal
fruit, plenty of life in it yet. 90+
2010
update: Eric was showing his wines at the enigmatically named "Salon
du X" - it's not that much of a mystery, actually, a tasting organised by their
agent Xavier Peyrot des Gachons with a
dozen Languedoc & Roussillon winegrowers present (there were
originally 10 in his "gang", I think) hence the X - in April at Domaine
Gayda's
impressive winery & restaurant complex, found between Limoux and
Castelnaudary. Latest vintages are:
2009 Le 20 blanc - mineral and zesty
vs creamy banana notes; quite intense and steely with long juicy finish and nice
lingering appley nutty flavours. 87
2007
Le Ciste blanc - more honeyed with lightly
spicy and cedar notes, appley and nutty with toasty edges; again steely mineral
mouth-feel and maturing vs lively finish. 89
2008 Le 20 red (mostly Syrah,
Grenache) - juicy cherry aromas and hints of cider
too; spicy crunchy fruit with dry vs lively finish, nice in the end.
85
2007
Le Ciste red (mostly Syrah,
Grenache) - similar but more intense, blueberry and
herby tones vs fuller and spicier; again shows wilder edges vs elegant and
brisk, firms up a bit on the finish. 87+
2006 Altitude (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon
planted at 500m/1650 feet) - cedary and leafy nose, moving on to richer savoury
cassis flavours; attractive "sweet" vs meaty profile with leather edges, firm
and powerful on its good finish. 87+
Les
Planels, 66220
Saint-Martin
de Fenouillet.
Tel: 04 68 59 26 92, mobile: 06 15 35 78 92;
domaine.laguerre@free.fr.
 Mas de Lavail
Nicolas, Marie Laure and Jean Batlle have 50 ha (124 acres) around their handsome
tree-shaded farmhouse off the main road near Maury - which is less common in this
neck of the woods, growers around here often owning smaller parcels in a few
different sites - plus another 25 or so towards Tautavel. The family has a long
grape growing history but only bought the Mas in 1999, which is still being
renovated. They've created a stylish cosy lounge reception area, adjoining a
small barrel cellar, and a gîte, which during the vintage houses a merry band of
guitar playing, multiple dog owning new-age-travelling pickers. Some thirty people
are taken on for one month as the whole estate is hand-harvested and sorted. Lavail produces about 100,000 bottles and sells off the rest in bulk. Wines
below tasted on 5/9/2006: see 6th
Fenouillèdes wine fair
for more.
Cuvée le Sud blanc, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Grenache Blanc
& Gris, 14%) - nice mealy tones with subtle oak adding roundness and
creaminess; fresher 'celery' bite v ripe fruit to finish.
87+
2004 Tradition Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan Syrah Grenache)
- lovely herbal black cherry and olive notes, quite rich and pure with fine
tight grip and length. 89+
2003 La Désirade Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Carignan Syrah Grenache)
- darker richer black cherry with blackberry spice, developing liquorice resin
and garrigue notes; powerful (15%) mouthfeel with
chocolate textured tannins and tight length, lingering 'sweet v savoury' fruit
too. 92
2003 Cuvée Ego, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (100% Grenache)
- delicious pure ripe Grenache nose, rounded and lush v dry palate, powerful
with lingering fruit; somehow still fairly elegant despite the 'wow' factor.
92-94
2004 Muscat de Rivesaltes - intense grape
orange peel and lychee flavours, fresh acidity v alcohol (usually 15%+) but
still a bit too sweet (110 grams per litre residual sugar) despite this and good
extract.
Maury blanc (Grenache Blanc) - light choco
toast aromas and texture, not so aged in style and a bit fruity-sweet bland
against only light bite. Not so attractive on its own, but Marie Laure said it's
good with a dish like scallops in Noilly Prat sauce!
2004 Maury Expression 'Vintage' (100% Grenache,
16%) - black cherry and choco with savoury gravy notes, lightly oxidised edges
yet lovely fruit and coating of dry tannins that lend a fresher, tight finish
offsetting the rich sweetness (80g/l residual sugar). Yum.
92
To buy these wines in the UK, contact
Leon Stolarski Fine Wines. And ?? in the US.
2007 Update: the
whole range is now distributed by Domaine Cazes' merchant
company, headed up by namesake nephew Lionel Lavail.
Update spring/summer 2009
- son Jean (or is
it Nicolas? Apologies for my rudeness...) Batlle (tricky Catalan surname
pronounced "bye-ya" I believe) took me through their latest vintages. For some
reason, I appear to have been a bit less wow-ed this time..?
2007 Le Sud (Grenache blanc &
gris) - lightly toasty coconut notes, exotic and spicy; "salty"
mineral palate turning nutty, quite nice style. 85+
2006
Tradition Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Carignan Grenache
14%) - attractive herbal cassis notes, turning into richer black cherry; nice
and juicy vs dry mouthfeel, medium-bodied and straightforward yet quite elegant
with appealing fruit on the finish. 85-87
2006
La Désirade Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Grenache Carignan
15%) - one year in oak: smokier and spicier on the nose; tighter quite closed
palate, firm with hints of chocolate vs attractive depth of fruit and structured
finish. Promising. 89
2005
Ego (Grenache 15%) - delicious ripe
liquorice aromas, peppery lush and "sweet"; taut mouthfeel with solid framework
vs maturing savoury flavours, surprisingly balanced despite that alcohol with
enticing juicy fruit vs dry finish. Yum. 90-92
2007
Expression Maury - lovely raspberry and black cherry nose; lively
fruit with leathery edges, nice dry vs sweet style.
87-89
2006 white Maury - unusual honeyed exotic
and spicy aromas / flavours vs orange peel and nutty oxidising tones; lush and
sweet vs dry grainy mouthfeel and nutty bite. Different and complex too, with
attractive underlying freshness vs ageing. 89+
2006
Muscat de Rivesaltes (Petits Grains) - very
Muscat, still lively and floral with zesty orange peel, attractive zing vs oily
finish. 87
18
Rue Henri Barbusse, 66460
Maury.
Tel:
04 68 59 15 22,
masdelavail@wanadoo.fr,
www.cazes-rivesaltes.com. |
|
Other Roussillon
/ Catalan stuff:
Wine words
Millésime Bio
Roussillon:
Maury
Saint-Bacchus
Top reds over €10
Wines of
the moment
Fenouillèdes
wine fair
Finding
Fenouillèdes
country
Vinisud
Millésime Bio
Mini-profiles
2005:
Castillo Perelada
Ch.
Planères
Dom
Hylari
Dom
Mas Blanc
Cave
Terrats
Fruité Catalan
The Roussillon
Present & future
A mini-thesis...
Cava guide
Also worth a look:
Winery snapshots
(7
pages)
Winery
snapshots:
Languedoc
(6
pages)
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