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Webinar 8:Dry Reds of the Roussillon

Côtes du Roussillon, CDRV & Collioure

CLIMATE - ROUSSILLON

HOT : 300 days of sunshine per annumWINDY : Canigounenc, Marinade, Levant, GregalARID : Rainfall 450mm / 18 in

Climate tempered by topography, aspect, altitude, breezes, sea

Many microclimates

SOILS - ROUSSILLON

Clay/Limestone : Vingrau/TautavelBlack Schist : MauryGrey Schist : Banyuls/CollioureGneiss : CaramanyGranite : LesquerdeGalets roulés : RivesaltesQuartz/Marble : AspresRed Soils : Latour de France

Côtes du Roussillon, CDRV & Collioure

Roussillon - AOCs

Côtes du Roussillon - All stylesCôtes du Roussillon Les AspresCôtes du Roussillon Villages - Red onlyCDRV with commune (Ex: Tautavel)Collioure - All stylesMaury Sec5 VDN’s

AOP - Roussillon71% Côtes du Roussillon14% Côtes du Roussillon Villages8% Collioure7% CdRV communes

Production - Roussillon

IGP 33%AOP Dry wines 34%VDN’s 30%Sans IG 2%

Côtes du Roussillon

Red, white and rosé (1977)12,832 acres (5,133 ha)118 communesMust be blend.. Complicated rulesVarieties planted together

AOC Côtes du Roussillon - rules

All styles must be blend of min 2 varietiesNo variety more than 70%, Syrah and Mdre at least 25% and Carignan max 50% of final blendGn blanc, Macabeu and Tourbat min 50%.Gn gris, Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermentino max 50% of final blend.Macabeu (up to 30%) allowed for rosé

Côtes du Roussillon, CDRV & Collioure

Côtes du Roussillon - Les AspresRed only (2003)

125 acres (50 hectares )

Average yield 1.74 tons/acre (29 hl/ha)

Gravel, galets roulés, clay/limestone

37 communes

Blend of 3 grape varieties min

Côtes du Roussillon Villages

Red wine only (1977)4,267 acres (1707 ha) Yield: 1.56 t/acre( 26hl/ha)Schist soils - 3 valleysBlend, with no variety above 70%Shift from VDN to dry reds

Côtes du Roussillon Villages - Caramany

Côtes du Roussillon Villages - Caramany

Red only (1977)457 acres (183 ha)Average yield: 1.74 t/acre (29 hl/ha) Gneiss - some granite825 ft (250 m)No Mourvèdre in blend. Carignan MC

Côtes du Roussillon Villages – Latour de France

Côtes du Roussillon Villages - Latour de France

Red only (1977)420 acres (168 ha) Average yield: 0.84 t/acre (14hl/ha) Schist with some red clayRelatively cool for CdR

Côtes du Roussillon Villages – Lesquerde

Côtes du Roussillon Villages - Lesquerde

Red only (1996)105 acres (42 ha)Average yield: 2.22 tons/acre (37 hl/ha)Granite - some gneiss1056 feet (320m) altNo Mourvèdre in blend

Côtes du Roussillon Villages – Tautavel

Côtes du Roussillon Villages - Tautavel

Red AOC (1997)Average Yield: 1.62 t/acre (27 hl/ha)Chalk, Clay/Limestone

Some schistHigh quality area with some top estates

AOC MAURY SEC

Dry, unfortified red (2012)Max Yield: 2.4 t/acre (40 hl/ha)Black Schist soilsBlend with Grenache noir – 60-80%6 months min ageing“Sec” must appear on label

AOC COLLIOURE

Collioure

Red (1971) White (2003) and Rosé (1991)1825 acres (730 ha)Schist, slopesAverage yield:1.32 t/acre22 hl/haSame delimited area as Banyuls4 communes“Imprint of the sea”

Collioure

Roussillon : Last Word

Winegrowing “on the edge”Incredible variation and choiceTiny yieldsEconomically a challengeSeismic shift in styleHuge progress in qualityNew Douro or Priorat ?