Roussillon: Present and Future, a mini-thesis: appendices p2

Click here for the whole dissertation and bibliography (goes to 'more wine words').

Appendices part 2: production & sales data, questionnaires, list of participating estates

SECTION 3: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

(A) PRODUCTION AND SALES TABLES

(i) Production 2005-2006

2006 harvest: VDN (*1)

Wine	Surface ha	Total vol hl	Co-ops hl
Banyuls white	113	2836	2542
Banyuls red	864	21240	16944
Banyuls GC*	159	3605	3570
Muscat Rives*	4871	105440	78276
Grand Rouss*	296	7190	3384
Maury white	38	971	782
Maury red	232	5404	3226
Rives red*	2204	49996	43754
Rives amb*	2667	58801	50401
Total VDN	11444	255483	202879

2005 harvest: VDN (*1)

Wine	Surface ha	Total vol hl	Co-ops hl
Banyuls white	95	2652	2285
Banyuls red	877	18365	13826
Banyuls GC*	222	4170	4112
Muscat Rives*	5123	106408	75731
Grand Rouss*	1697	43920	37407
Maury white	70	1389	1199
Maury red	491	10666	7850
Rives red*	891	19204	13651
Rives amb*	2562	54844	43181
Total VDN	12028	261618	199242

*Banyuls Grand Cru; Muscat de Rivesaltes; Grand Roussillon red, white and rosé combined; Rivesaltes red includes Tuilé and Grenat styles; Rivesaltes ambré. Volume figures are in hectolitres of finished wine i.e. include fortifying alcohol.

2006: Côtes du Roussillon and Villages (*1)

Wine	Surface ha	Total vol hl	Co-ops hl
CDR white	142	4345	2556
CDR red	3022	111119	81047
CDR rosé	2419	94983	81135
CDR Villages	1493	43871	25495
CDRV Cara*	150	5349	5349
CDRV Latour*	99	3719	3434
CDRV Lesqu*	22	840	833
CDRV Taut*	316	11108	7818
CDR Aspres	32	1085	359
Collioure wh	76	2556	1967
Collioure red	401	13096	11075
Collioure rosé	119	3874	2922
Total CDR/V	8291	295945	223990

2005: Côtes du Roussillon and Villages (*1)

Wine	Surface ha	Total vol hl	Co-ops hl
CDR white	183	5156	2836
CDR red	2837	100365	70980
CDR rosé	2949	114360	92773
CDR Villages	1637	47446	28619
CDRV Cara*	171	5620	5396
CDRV Latour*	167	4974	2971
CDRV Lesqu*	28	823	680
CDRV Taut*	289	11270	8179
CDR Aspres	59	1404	621
Collioure wh	75	2476	1969
Collioure red	389	12230	9547
Collioure rosé	116	3941	2318
Total CDR/V	8900	310065	226889

*Côtes du Roussillon Villages + four named village subzones = Caramany, Latour-de-France, Lesquerde and Tautavel.

2006: Vins de pays, vins de table & other (*1)

Wine	Surface ha	Volume hl	Co-ops hl	Surplus* hl
VDP white*	1598	77944	60838	40914
VDP red*	5112	249625	179968	13170
VDP rosé*	1642	84074	63795	12466
Total VDP*	8352	411643	304601	66550
VDT white	142	6640	3496	2572
VDT red	638	38708	23627	3216
VDT rosé	120	7917	4709	16
Total VDT	900	53265	31832	5804
Mistelle/liqu*	49	5613	5613
Must/juice*		12345	10480
Vines no prod*	451
Total 2006	29,487 ha	1,034,294 hl	779,395 hl	72,354 hl

2005: Vins de pays, vins de table & other (*1)

Wine	Surface ha	Volume hl	Co-ops hl	Surplus* hl
VDP white*	1756	87879	68307	40684
VDP red*	6298	303175	214855	9845
VDP rosé*	1908	104060	81685	15258
Total VDP*	9962	495114	364847	65787
VDT white	190	7219	3834	6590
VDT red	989	55556	30052	6610
VDT rosé	162	8452	4902	4188
Total VDT	1341	71227	38788	17388
Mistelle/liqu*	3	3672	3656
Must/juice*		15841	12174
Vines no prod*	772
Total 2005	33,006 ha	1,157,537 hl	845,596 hl	83,175 hl

*VDP = sum of vin de pays Côtes Catalanes, d’Oc, des PO and Côte Vermeille (in descending order). *Surplus excludes 38,500 hl of wine lees included in 05-06 CIVR figures for accounting purposes. *Mistelles / vins de liqueurs = other fortified or sweet wines. *Grapes, must, juice and concentrate. *Young vines not in production.

(ii) Vine plantings/removal by variety in 2005 (*12)

Variety	ha	04 v 05 %	Diff remove v plant -/+ ha 04/05	Diff remove v plant -/+ last 22 yrs
Grenache noir	7305	-1	-61	-567
Carignan	5978	-7	-373	-12877
Syrah	4819	6	+333	+4309
Mourvèdre	931	3	+53	+850
Merlot	749	1	+28	+665
Cabernet sauvignon	541	5	+47*	+654*
Lledoner pelut	289	-3
Cinsaut	113	-11
Cabernet franc	102	15	*	*
Chenanson	69	-3
Total red	20898	-1	-62*	-7970*
Muscat petits grains	3232	-2	-25	+1101
Macabeu	3118	-8	-207	-3287
Muscat d’Alexandrie	2671	-4	-72	+222
Grenache blanc	1920	-10	-241*	-6343*
Grenache gris	1408	-7	*	*
Chardonnay	553	-1	+4	+520
Vermentino	101	-1
Sauvignon	94	-4
Viognier	92	2
Tourbat (Malvoisie)	29	-12
Marsanne	27	4
Roussanne	33	27
Total white	13278	-6	-541*	-7731*
TOTAL	34175	-3	-603	-15701
Miscellaneous*	233	-7	*	*

*Plantings quoted as ‘Cabernet’ = Sauvignon/Franc combined. *Red varieties: include Alicante & Aramon (virtually all ripped up), 1 ha Tempranillo planted 04/05 and 9 ha Cinsaut removed. *White varieties: Grenache blanc/gris plant/remove figs amalgamated, 7 ha Roussanne planted. *Miscellaneous includes 83 ha of Carignan blanc, 10 ha pulled up.

(iii) Production v shipments 2001-2006 (*1)

VDN

*	Muscat Rive	Banyuls	Rive/GR/Maur
2001 volume hl	160,600	22623	176391
shipments hl	-137,040	-24622	-212372
surplus/deficit	23,560	-1999	-35981
2002 volume	157,079	24978	174649
shipments	-140,964	-24300	-205902
sur/def	16,115	678	-31253
2003 volume	138,342	25965	153069
shipments	-129,642	-23872	-194878
sur/def	8,700	2093	-41809
2004 volume	111,555	23668	134799
shipments	-125,491	-22675	-188435
sur/def	-13,936	993	-53636
2005 volume	106,408	25193	130024
shipments	-120,027	-15683	-163119
sur/def	-13,619	9510	-33095
2006 volume	108,798	27680	122241
shipments	-115,719	-21849	-167499
sur/def	-6,921	5831	-45258

*Muscat de Rivesaltes; Banyuls and Grand Cru; all other Rivesaltes styles, Grand Roussillon and Maury together. Figures are for the PO only (the Rivesaltes and GR AOCs extend into the Aude département).

Dry AOC wines

*	CDR W/R/R	CDR Village	Collioure
2001 volume hl	280658	100091	15129
shipments hl	-187279	-75288	-14804
surplus/deficit	93379	24803	325
2002 volume	200498	84206	16468
shipments	-196282	-80608	-14143
sur/def	4216	3598	2325
2003 volume	194864	79455	16505
shipments	-195625	-86989	-14911
sur/def	-761	-7534	1594
2004 volume	233144	72255	18804
shipments	-227006	-58476	-14715
sur/def	6138	13779	4089
2005 volume	221496	70103	18646
shipments	-205410	-56506	-8101
sur/def	16086	13597	10545
2006 volume	209346	65665	20352
shipments	-210685	-54351	-16144
sur/def	-1339	11314	4208

*Côtes du Roussillon white, red (incl. Aspres) and rosé together; all Côtes du Roussillon Villages red; Collioure white, red and rosé.

(iv) Shipments by channel France & export (*1)

AOC dry wines

Channel %	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05	2005/06
Private customers	23	18	18	20	17
Convenience stores	3	2	3	2	2
Wine merchants	2	2	2	3	2
Restau/hotels	3	3	2	2	2
Discounters	28	25	30	33	36
Multiple grocers	10	9	8	11	14
Exports	31	41	37	29	27
Shipments hl	283548	315932	302439	276467	257110

AOC VDN

Channel %	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05	2005/06
Private customers	10	10	10	10	10
Convenience stores	3	4	4	4	4
Wine merchants	2	2	2	2	2
Restau/hotels	1	1	1	1	1
Discounters	25	25	24	24	25
Multiple grocers	57	56	57	58	56
Exports	2	2	2	2	2
Shipments hl	395853	370777	359635	322806	329194

(v) Sales in France 2006 (Hyper/supermarkets & discounters *1)

VDN

Wine/region*	Value €	% change 05	Average price
Muscat Roussillon	70,409,214	-0.8	5.81
Muscat Rivesaltes	36,266,218	+0.3	5.35
VDN excl. Muscat	40,991,048	-4	3.47
Grand Roussillon	20,391,199	-0.7	2.61
Other Rivesaltes	16,433,395	-7.6	4.83
Maury	628,530	-8.7	8.16
Banyuls	3,420,850	-3.7	6.50
Muscat Frontignan	7,776,429	-2.6	7.90
Muscat B de V	4,524,152	-4.7	12.33
Muscat Samos	15,903,027	-1.2	5.12
Muscat St. J de M	506,085	+3.7	8.98

Dry wines: Languedoc-Roussillon v other

Wine/region*	Value €	% change 05	Average price
AOC Lang-Rouss	131,660,848	-2.5	3.16
VDP d’Oc	201,172,560	+9.6	2.43
Bordeaux	877,373,696	+0.7	5.31
Rhone	306,568,608	-2	3.61
AOC L-R white	8,809,860	-1.5	4.29
AOC Rouss white	353,513	-1.1	6.18
L-R rosé	16,840,716	+2.9	3.31
Roussillon rosé	3,222,145	+38	3.27
L-R red	106,010,272	-3.3	3.07
Roussillon red	9,787,703	+5.2	4.05
VDP PO	2,022,476	-19	2.01

*Total Languedoc-Roussillon all AOCs and colours; Vin de Pays d’Oc all styles; AOC Languedoc-Roussillon white, rosé and red compared to same colours all Roussillon AOCs; VDP PO = other vin de pays from Roussillon, all colours.

(vi) Exports

French wine exports 2006 by value (*13)

Region/type	‘000 €	% change
Total AOC wine:	2,927,963	+13.5
Alsace	103,541	+8.4
Bordeaux	1,271,962	+23.2
Burgundy	577,732	+8.1
Beaujolais	157,939	-4.1
Cotes du Rhone	255,670	+17.4
Languedoc-Roussillon	134,385	-2.6
Loire valley	204,041	+2.7
Vins de pays*	600,508	+1.4
Vins de table	348,236	-0.2
Total inc sparkling	6,159,837	+11.6

Exports 2006 by market and value (*13)

Country	‘000 €	% change
United Kingdom	1,304,588	+9.7
USA	1,020,904	+17.9
Germany	581,707	-0.7
Belgium	539,639	+2.5
Japan	396,536	+10.8
Netherlands	326,478	+3.2
Switzerland	264,958	+9.5
Canada	254,739	+20.8
Italy	277,594	+10.9
Singapore	155,593	+70

QUESTIONNAIRES

Q1 Roussillon winemaker survey

NB. My analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of the Roussillon wine industry will be based on “current challenges and reasons why, positive developments and future directions.”

Domaine and location:

Owner’s or manager’s name:

Production and sales

Surface area and varieties:

How many hectares at present?

Would you prefer more or less vineyard to be more profitable?

Are you planting / have you planted or removing / have removed a certain variety or varieties in favour of another, and why?

Generally, yields are low in the Roussillon: advantage or disadvantage?

Production costs, real estate prices:

Vineyard land is less expensive in the Roussillon? Price per ha?

And property prices compared to 5-10 years ago?

If you set up your domaine within the last five years, how long do you expect it to take for a return on investment?

Wine styles as a percentage and price of each (approx retail in €/£/$):

VDN of which Muscat or ambré or red styles

Red white rosé

Do you make a Muscat sec or plan to?

AOC / vin de pays

Bottles / BIB / bulk

Trends 2001-2006?

Channels as a percentage of turnover:

Direct

Multiple grocers / specialists

Independent merchants/wholesalers

On-trade

Export, and which markets?

Other

Trends 2001-2006?

Identity

Does the Roussillon have a distinct image for wine (and quality) among consumers?

And compared to the Languedoc or 'South of France' or Catalonia even?

In France (and still especially for VDNs?)             Abroad

(Also see below)

AOC

Generally speaking, do you think it’s still valid or are the rules too inflexible in terms of today’s market?

What about Côtes du Roussillon as a banner for the region?

Would it be better for the Roussillon to be part of ‘InterSud’ / South of France? Please comment further if you wish.

Do you believe it’s a good idea to develop 'cru' AOCs in the Roussillon – in terms of terroir, philosophy and economics – e.g. create more CDR Villages + village name such as Tautavel?

Or does this make it more complicated for the consumer?

(The Aspres: was the appellation properly thought out in your opinion? Image and price: is the wine enthusiast prepared to pay more for a CDR Les Aspres?)

Tourism

Could you estimate the percentage of your turnover, as a share of your direct sales, due to tourism?

Do you offer any wine tourism events, organised walks, winemaker dinners etc?

Are you a member of an organisation such as 'Tourisme de Terroir en Pyrenées Orientales’ or ‘Gîtes de France’? If so, does it bring in significant income?

If not, are you planning to invest in wine tourism, e.g. build a better reception/tasting area or shop, restore a farm building to offer accommodation?

Organic

Apart from the environmental and marketing advantages, is it really one of the Roussillon’s assets in particular?                   Is organic winegrowing easier here?

I understand that oidium is the most widespread disease – are small quantities of sulphur usually enough to treat it, or is it a very serious problem?

Q1b: the thirty estates

See list below with contact details.

Q2 Roussillon trade questionnaire

My analysis of "the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the Roussillon wine industry" will focus on "current challenges, positive developments and future directions." 

Identity - does the Roussillon have a distinct image for wine (and quality) for your customers and the American wine drinker in general? And compared to the Languedoc or south of France or Catalonia even?

Customers - who's buying these wines: specialist wine shops, restaurants, internet sales? What's the average price, retail and in a restaurant, or would be ideally if you imported any Roussillon wines?

What do you think their reds offer in terms of wine styles, quality, value and/or innovation? And theirrosés: does the US market represent a good opportunity?

Do you think the Cotes du Roussillon or CDR Villages appellation is important as a banner for the region? Or better to focus on, e.g. super-vins de pays varietals made from Grenache, Carignan, Syrah?

Is there a market for Vins Doux Naturels in the States? Given the amount of Muscat variety planted, is there any potential for Dry Muscat white wines?

Q3 Roussillon wine writers questionnaire

Identity - does the Roussillon have a distinct image for wine (and quality)? And compared to the Languedoc or south of France or Catalonia even? Please sum up what you consider to be the Roussillon's main strengths and weaknesses.

What do you think their reds offer in terms of wine styles, quality, value and/or innovation? And theirrosés: does the UK market represent a good opportunity for them?

Visibility - do you see more or less of these wines in wine shops or restaurants? Would you buy a bottle and how much would you be prepared to pay?

Do you think the Cotes du Roussillon or CDR Villages appellation is important as a banner for the region? Or is it better to focus on, e.g. super-vins de pays varietals based on Grenache, Carignan, Syrah?

Is there any following for Vins Doux Naturels sweet wines? Given the amount of the Muscat variety planted in the Roussillon, is there any potential for Dry Muscat? Does the style suit British tastes and is Muscat beginning to register interest as a varietal wine?

Q1b The 30 Estates Owner/manager Location Email Phone Website
Mas Alart BELMAS Frédéric Saleilles frederic.belmas@wanadoo.fr 04 68 50 51 89 www.mas-alart.fr
Domaine Calvet-Thunevin CALVET Jean-Roger and THUNEVIN Jean Luc Maury calvet.marie@wanadoo.fr 04 68 59 20 73 / 06 16 66 93 75 www.thunevin.com
Chateau La Casenove MONTÈS Etienne Trouillas chateau.la.casenove@wanadoo.fr 04 68 21 66 33 rhone.vignobles.free.fr/pagesgb/montes.htm
Domaine Cazes CAZES Emmanuel and LAVAIL Lionel Rivesaltes lionel.lavail@cazes.com 04 68 64 08 26 www.cazes-rivesaltes.com
Clot de l'Oum MONNÉ Eric & Lèia OBARA Bélesta emonne@web.de 06 60 57 69 62 www.clotdeloum.com
Mas dels Clots PIQUEMAL Michel Salses-Le-Chateau michel.piquemal@masdesclots.com 04 68 64 20 13 / 06.61.20.99.40 www.masdesclots.com
Domaine Coume del Mas GARD Philippe Banyuls sur Mer coumedelmas@tiscali.fr 04 68 88 37 03 / 06 86 81 71 32
Domaine Coume Majou CHARLIER Luc Corneilla de la Riviere charlier.luc@wanadoo.fr 04 68 51 84 83
Mas Crémat JEANNIN Catherine Espira de l'Agly mascremat@mascremat.com 04.68.38.92.06 www.mascremat.com
Domaine Depeyre DEPEYRE Serge & Brigitte BILE Cases-de-Pene brigitte.bile@orange.fr 04 68 28 32 19
Clos des Fées BIZEUL Hervé Vingrau info@closdesfees.com 04 68 29 40 00 www.closdesfees.com
Domaine Força Réal HENRIQUÈS Cyril et Jean-Paul Millas cyril@forcareal.com 04 68 85 06 07 www.forcareal.com
Domaine Gardiès GARDIÈS Jean Espira de l'Agly gardies.jean@wanadoo.fr 04.68.64.61.16
Domaine Gauby GAUBY Gérard and Lionel Calce domaine.gauby@wanadoo.fr,info@domainegauby.fr 04 68 64 35 19 www.domainegauby.fr
Chateau de Jau DAURÉ Simon and Estelle Cases-de-Pene daure@wanadoo.fr 04.68.38.90.10
Vignobles Bernard Magrez RAYNAL Jean-Marc / Bernard MAGREZ Montner raynalsud@free.fr 06 80 30 72 24 / 04 68 80 24 81 www.bernard-magrez.com
Domaine Marcevol PREDAL Guy Vinca marcevolpredal@wanadoo.fr 04 68 05 74 34
Domaine Matassa LUBBE Tom & HARROP Sam Calce matassa@wanadoo.fr 04 68 64 10 13
Clos de Paulilles DAURÉ Simon / PAGES Frédéric Port Vendres daure@wanadoo.fr 04 68 98 07 58
Domaine Pechpeyrou DE GUITAUT Bertrand Banyuls sur Mer bertrand.evelyne@wanadoo.fr 04 68 82 57 24 / 06 70 76 22 76
Domaine Pithon PITHON Olivier Calce pithon.olivier@wanadoo.fr 06.16.79.82.19 www.domaineolivierpithon.com
Préceptoire de Centernach LEGRAND Vincent Saint Arnac (Maury) legrandvin@wanadoo.fr 04 68 81 02 94 www.la-rectorie.com
Domaine Rancy Brigitte & Jean-HubertVERDAGUER Latour-de-France info@domaine-rancy.com 04 68 29 03 47 / 06 87 11 15 18 www.domaine-rancy.com
Domaine La Rectorie PARCÉ Marc, Pierre, Thierry Banyuls sur Mer larectorie@wanadoo.fr,vignesorientales@orange.fr 04.68.88.13.45 / 04 68 81 02 94 / 06 82 67 04 10 / 06 80 01 75 76 www.la-rectorie.com
Domaine Singla DE BESOMBES-SINGLA Laurent Rivesaltes/Camélas laurent.debesombes@free.fr 04 68 28 30 68 / 06 11 77 07 11; www.domainesingla.com
Domaine Le Soula Richards Walford UK & Gérard Gauby St Martin de Fenouillet Roy@r-w.co.uk See www.domainegauby.fr
Domaine Treloar HESFORD Jonathan & Rachel Trouillas hesfordj@hotmail.com,info@domainetreloar.com 04 68 95 02 29 / 06 50 88 21 70 www.domainetreloar.com
Domaine Trois Orris GRALER Joep Tarerach joep.graler@wanadoo.fr,troisorris@wanadoo.fr 04 68 05 29 19 / 06 75 02 51 00 www.troisorris.org
Chateau Valmy CARBONNELL Bernard and Martine Argelès-sur-Mer chateau.valmy@tiscali.fr,contact@chateau-valmy.com 04 68 81 25 70 www.chateau-valmy.com
Domaine des Vents PELEGRY Arnaud / C. CARRELAS Saint Paul de Fenouillet domainedesvents@wanadoo.fr 06 10 32 14 84 / 04 68 59 22 63
Domaine Vinci Emmanuelle VINCI / Olivier VARICHON Estagel Vinciemmanuelle@aol.com 04.68.52.04.99 06.18.49.11.21 www.domainevinci.com

MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Lebanese cookery classes Languedoc-style 4-6 April

Full of original ideas to attract wine tourist punters, Château Coujan in Saint-Chinian country is running a Lebanese cookery course over the weekend of 4th - 6th April. The full package includes all meals and accommodation in Coujan's on-site gite and costs €200 or €300 per couple. So, if you're going to be in the Murviel-les-Béziers area (not that far from Béziers) and fancy something different, book it quickly as there's only room for eight people. Contact Florence Guy or Stanislas Pujol: chateau-coujan@orange.fr, www.chateau-coujan.com, tel. +33 (0)4 67 37 80 00. Lebanese wines here.

Languedoc: Laroche 'South of France' - Mas La Chevalière

Part of the Michel Laroche wine empire (Chablis, Chile, South Africa... next stop Corsica following in the footsteps of an earlier well-known emperor?!), Mas de la Chevalière is now part of the mighty - and quite impressive, it has to be said, looking at the different wineries they own - Languedoc-based JeanJean group (link goes to latest feature on them, summer 2010). The estate smartly combines tastefully refurbished Mediterranean manor house with striking metal and glass winery, and produces upmarket Vin de Pays d’Oc varietals and blends. Vineyard manager and winemaker Richard Lavanoux runs a tight ship (NB Richard is no longer with them: see update link at the bottom), whether on their own estate or working with a handful of contracted growers. Their best wines include the flagship Croix Chevalière red (Syrah, Cabernet, Mourvèdre and/or Merlot depending on the vintage), the Mas whiteChardonnay / Viognier blend and another single vineyard, red wine calledRoqua Blanca (see notes below, wines sampled at Vinisud Montpellier February 2008. Followed by latest notes added in July 2010 tasted at the winery).

The property/winery can be found on the outskirts of the attractive (in its own southern way) Languedoc town of Béziers, which still has a bit of a rough-diamond reputation – mostly unjustified although there are certain areas where you might not feel so comfortable walking at night – but is slowly undergoing urban redevelopment in its own, casual way. Scruffier and less lively than Montpellier, this historic city (one of Europe’s oldest) is becoming popular with young people, who can’t afford to live in the region’s capital. The nicest parts for sightseeing include the magnificent Gothic cathedral (Saint Nazaire) perched up above the old town; the ancient bridge down below across the River Orb; and the elegant, tree-lined Allées Paul Riquet, a sort of pedestrian ‘road’ adjacent to an inviting square, the inevitably named Place Jean Jaurès (who was an important 19th Century politician by the way). This area reveals a few shops, restaurants and evidence of a burgeoning wine bar scene, such as nearby Le Chameau Ivre (Drunken Camel) which is a recommended stop.

2007 Sauvignon Blanc de la Chevalière (12%) - lovely piercing grassy v ripe citrus aromas and flavours, crisp bite but not harsh with it. 85
2006 Mas la Chevalière Vignoble Peyroli (Chardy Viognier) - from a vineyard in the high Aude country. Very fresh and aromatic v very subtle toasted oak, rounded tropical fruit v attractive refreshing acidity as well. 87-89
2007 Rosé de la Chevalière (mostly Syrah) - very tasty, classic style showing creamy red fruits then crisp lively finish. 87
2007 Viognier - floral apricot notes move on to an attractive, quite lively palate and not too heavy (as Viognier can be). 87
2007 Chardonnay - appealing benchmark juicy fruity style. 87
2006 Syrah - a touch of chocolate oak on the nose with red pepper and black cherry overtones, firm mouth-feel yet nice and rounded too. 87
2006 Merlot - more attractive than previous vintages (I wasn't much of a fan of their straight Merlot until now) offering plenty of plummy fruit and full body v fresh and dry bite, well made. 87
2005 Mas la Chevalière Vignoble Roqua Blanca (Merlot Syrah Cabernet sauvignon) - from a 400-metre altitude vineyard. Smoky rustic tones v lightly herbal complexity, very concentrated berry fruit v chunky tannins and background oak. 90
2003 La Croix Chevalière (Mourvèdre Syrah Cab sauv) - pretty oaky to start but it's peppery and rich with black cherry, cassis and a twist of black olive; stonking tannins v concentration and well-handled oak undercoat; lovely textures and flavours, although closing up a little on its long finish, still youthful and a touch un-together with much more to come. 92+ 

UPDATE 2010: click here for details of a new feature including the latest from MLC plus a profile of Jeanjean's other Languedoc estates. I've also included my tasting notes on new vintages below.
All "vin de pays d'Oc":
2009 La Chevalière Sauvignon Blanc - pretty typical soft citrus style with grassier edges; attractive zesty length and dry yet juicy fruity finish. 83-85
2009 La Chevalière Chardonnay (blend of Chardy from the hills north of Nimes and coastal sites) - lovely fruity nose with pear and peach notes; zingy mouth-feel and bite vs light leesy creamy flavours/texture, well-made with balanced mix of fruit, weight and crisp finish. 85+
2009 La Chevalière Viognier - enticing and exotic pineapple / apricot aromas; nice "fat" tropical palate with citrus peel twist, zestier "chalky" finish and lively length. 87
2007 Mas La Chevalière white "Vignoble Peyroli" (Chardonnay, Viognier) - toasty milky notes with developing oily creamy profile and exotic edges; still lively vs oily texture, good balance of fruit vs honeyed and nutty vs lightly steely touch. Again well made and attractive, still looking good and fresh yet rounded and creamy. 88+
2009 La Chevalière rosé (Syrah, Merlot, Grenache) - appealing juicy fruity style with lots of raspberry drops; very drinkable fruity mouthful with light, crisp and refreshing finish. 85
2008 Mas La Chevalière red "Roqua Blanca" (Syrah, Merlot) - a bit closed up and toasty/grainy to start; turning more savoury on the palate with spicy coconut, attractive "sweet" fruit and textured tannins; again closes up on the finish (it had just been bottled when I tried it), could be quite fine though. 87+
2007 La Croix Chevalière red (Syrah, Merlot, Grenache) - sexy maturing savoury and tobacco tones, complex developing nose; spicy and chunky mouth-feel with subtle concentration, nice grip although rounded tannins; surprisingly elegant and not overdone, length and style. 90+
2009 Grenache (vat sample) - very white pepper vs liquorice and ripe berries, tobacco and herby edges too; meatier palate and quite powerful finish vs "sweet" fruit, attractive style. 87+
2009 Syrah (vat sample) - invitingly smoky dark cherry nose with minty edges; quite concentrated / extracted vs nice spicy juicy fruit, again grippy vs rounded tannins. 87

Route de Murviel, 34500 Béziers. Tel: 04 67 49 88 30, www.larochewines.com.

Roussillon: Domaine du Mas Rous, Montesquieu-des-Albères

Domaine du Mas Rous
Mas Rous stretches across 38 hectares (95 acres) in a beautiful spot snuggling up to the Albères hills along the border with Spain, roughly between Le Boulou and Collioure. Tender loving care of vines and winemaking is provided by José Pujol, aided by his wife, who took over this family-owned estate some thirty years ago. I tasted these three wines at this year's Vinisud wine show (Montpellier, Feb. 2008); more stuff to follow when I get round to visiting them.
2006 Tradition Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre Grenache 13.5%) - lovely liquorice and black cherry fruit, peppery and lively mouth-feel set on a backdrop of chunky tannins. 87+
2003 Cuvée Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan 13%) - nice mature leather-tinged fruit with 'sweet' v savoury edges; ripe and rounded palate v smoky meaty tones, well-balanced dry grip v fullness to finish. 89
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (13.5%) - not bad actually (considering Cabernet isn't always very successful in this region): a bit stalky to start yet becomes more savoury and cassis in flavour, quite concentrated too. 87

Mas Rous, 66740 Montesquieu des Albères. Tel: 04 68 89 64 91.

Roussillon: Clos Saint Georges, Trouillas

Claude and Dominique Ortal's extensive 60 hectare (150 acre) estate lies tucked away in the open rolling countryside between the villages of Trouillas and Pollestres (south of Perpignan), not far from Château La Casenove. The initial, slightly alarming 'alterations' to the landscape, caused by nearby work on the new Perpignan to Barcelona TGV line, have now grown back and settled in while providing Saint Georges with a new road, signpost and large roundabout to conveniently slow people down so they notice it!
Saint Georges makes quite a big range of different local styles - including rosé, vins de pays varietals, traditional fortified Muscat and Rivesaltes - out of which their cru red Les Aspres cuvée is a real highlight (see below), which they don't make very much of. This Roussillon sub-appellation has its critics and supporters (click here and scroll down to "Straining at the Leash...", or browse through other estates in this area on these Roussillon pages for more on that): the Ortals are vociferously in the latter camp and it shows in their wines. I talked to and tasted with Claude at this year's Vinisud wine show (Montpellier, Feb. 2008), this is what he said: "We talked about it (Les Aspres) and did research for ten years parcel by parcel. Renou (the former head of France's AOC regulatory watchdog who sadly died a couple of years ago) thought it was the only AOC that fitted his new ideas on appellations. Things might change as we'd felt left out of the whole cru thing. It's a shame some aren't supporting it."
2003 Cuvée de Pierre Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres (2/3 Syrah 1/3 Grenache) - attractive mix of rustic and inky fruit v lush and vibrant flavours; nice grip of textured tannins layered with maturing fruit richness. 89+
2005 Cuvée de Pierre Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres (2/3 Syrah 1/3 Grenache) - richer and riper fruit than the 03, less smoky and developed too with more minty spicy characters; very nice wine, shows promise. 90+

Clos Saint Georges, 66300 Trouillas. Tel: 04 68 21 61 46, clortal@wanadoo.fr, www.clos-saint-georges.com.

Languedoc: Les Caves de Sieur d'Arques, Limoux

Les Caves de Sieur d'Arques

One of the biggest and most enterprising co-op cellars in the Languedoc (for example, they supply the wine for Gallo's hit US brand called Red Bicyclette, although they did allegedly get their fingers burnt over a certain "Pinot Noir" cum Merlot wine!), who produce very nice examples despite the substantial volume of the whole variety of Limoux styles. Recommended sparkling wines include their Bulle de Blanquette Brut, aged in bottle on the yeast lees for 24 months, and stylish Crémant de Limoux rosé (see tasting notes below, sampled at Vinisud Montpellier February 2008). They also do guided tours around their enormous factory-like winery and show a touristy film, which is nevertheless interesting to see how the local fizz is produced on a large scale compared to the family-run estates featured in this guide. See below under Domaine Fourn for a bit of blurb on the production of the different Limoux sparklings. Caves Sieur's still Limoux wines come from four separate vineyard areas and are also worth a taste: the best ones are arguably from La Haute Vallée, higher altitude plantings that help express more finesse perhaps.

Bulle de Blanquette Brut (Mauzac Chenin Chardy 12.5% alc, 24 months lees ageing) - elegant toasty/yeasty aromas, quite rich honeyed mouth-feel with crisp backdrop and a bit of class too. 89-91
2005 Crémant de Limoux Brut (15 months ageing) - finer in a way and more floral, less textured though with light honeyed fruit then subtle refreshing finish. 87-89
Bulle de Crémant rosé (same plus a bit of Pinot Noir) - touches of red fruits with toasted-bready undercurrents, nice mouth-feel with crisp intense length. 89+
Méthode Ancestrale tradition (100% Mauzac 6.5%) - quite sweet yet refreshing with oily developing fruit, a bit odd although nice. 85+


UPDATE: latest Sd'A wines and vintages are here (Limoux report, April 2011).


Avenue de Carcassonne, 11303 Limoux. Tel: 04 68 74 63 00, www.sieurdarques.com.

Languedoc: Domaine Stella Nova, Pézenas

A winemaking consultancy team called Natolix headed up by Jean Natoli, who created the well-regarded www.oenoconseil.fr, had a stand at this year's Vinisud wine show in Montpellier, where they lined up a wide selection of their clients' wines on tasting. They work with some of the leading estates in the Languedoc, and I've picked one of my favourites below with a bit of info about this equally well-known estate winery. It may or may not be worth adding that I found a few others, which didn't exactly set the world alight or were a bit heavy-handed on the winemaking front with some of the wines swamped in chocolatey new oak. And one particular white was corked but already sampled, rather inexcusable considering the stand was full of highly qualified winemakers who should have checked every bottled opened...
Anyway, enough of the cheeky telling-off, here's one of their seductive reds from Domaine Stella Nova plus a bit of blurb about them:

Philippe Richy is yet another refugee Paris businessman who packed his bags and headed south, learned about vines and wine and in 2002 purchased vineyards near Caux, in the new Pézenas subzone. He's also converting the estate over to biodynamic farming methods, man.


2004 Les Pléiades rouge Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre) - very lush and extracted but it has lovely ripe resiny fruit on top of those BIG tannins and powerful finish. €13.50 90


546 Route d’Usclas, 34230 Paulhan. Tel: 04.67.00.10.76, www.stellanova.fr.

Languedoc: Le Prieuré Saint Sever

A winemaking consultancy team called Natolix headed up by Jean Natoli, who created the well-regarded www.oenoconseil.fr, had a stand at this year's Vinisud wine show in Montpellier, where they lined up a wide selection of their clients' wines on tasting. They work with some of the leading estates in the Languedoc, and I've picked one of my favourites below with a bit of info about this equally well-known estate winery. It may or may not be worth adding that I found a few others, which didn't exactly set the world alight or were a bit heavy-handed on the winemaking front with some of the wines swamped in chocolatey new oak. And one particular white was corked but already sampled, rather inexcusable considering the stand was full of highly qualified winemakers who should have checked every bottled opened... Anyway, enough of the cheeky telling-off, here's one of their seductive reds:


Le Prieuré Saint Sever


Thierry Rodriguez is a winemaker and broker specialising in sourcing top end Languedoc wines for export and also owns Mas Gabinèle, a 10 hectare (25 acre) vineyard in the Faugères appellation, and a rather smart-looking holiday gite too.
2007 Basalte cuvée Stratagème Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah Grenache) - rich dark colour and fruit profile, perfumed herbal and mineral in style with bitter chocolate and fig undertones; subtle length and freshness too, again somewhat different and rather good although not for everyone this one. €9 90-92

Campagne de Veyran, 34490 Causses et Veyran. Tel: 04 67 89 71 72, www.prieuresaintsever.com.