France, Roussillon: The King of in 2013 April 30, 2015

While almost all of France struggled in 2013, this late, cool vintage resulted in thrilling wines from the Roussillon that offer both richness and freshness. While this is a sunny, dry region known for producing voluptuous, ripe and at times heady wines, the 2013s have a beautiful sense of elegance and purity to go with impressive mid-palate concentration, integrated acidity and ripe, tannic backbones. These wines share similarities to the brilliant 2008s, and in a number of cases I think producers have made their best wines to date. The vast majority of these will benefit from short-term cellaring, and have broad drink windows. In addition to the superb quality of the reds, whites and rosés also excelled.

Looking specifically at the weather, the Roussillon had the same cool, wet spring that was common throughout France, yet the negative impact on Grenache was less noticeable here. Flowering was over two weeks late and didn't occur until the first part of June. From that point on the season stayed moderate, with sporadic rain storms (normally followed by the northwesterly wind called the Tramontane wind) that kept the vines healthy. Harvest started in earnest in September, with most bringing in their Syrah in late September and Grenache and Mourvèdre not being brought in until October. While there were sporadic storms early in September, most vignerons commented that they were able to wait for ripeness and were thrilled with the grapes. Yields as a whole are comparable to 2012, which was down from the larger 2011 harvest.

In short, 2013 is a terrific vintage for the Roussillon and these wines should not be missed.

Looking at 2014, this is a more difficult, cold, dry and late (Hermitage finished harvest before a number of Roussillon producers) vintage that appears to have produced open, fruity and supple wines. The wines don't have the concentration or structure of the 2013s, and quality isn't as consistent. I'll taste more of these wines next year, but the vintage favors Syrah (Michel Chapoutier calls this vintage the most interesting in the past decade) over Grenache and Mourvèdre.

A Look Back at Recent Vintages

The 2012 vintage was a dry, extremely hot vintage that resulted in rich, concentrated and slightly erratic wines. The best are brilliant, and I include a number of new releases in this report. A large, ripe crop, the 2011s share lots of similarities to the 2009s, and are drinking nicely today given their sexy, seamless profiles. This is an excellent vintage for the Roussillon and the wines have put on weight since release. Like in the Languedoc and Southern Rhône, 2010 is a serious, concentrated vintage in the Roussillon. The top wines have plenty of ripeness, yet also good freshness, purity and length. At the moment, these are best left alone for a handful of years. A big, ripe, hedonistic vintage, 2009 has a lot in common with 2007 and 2011. These are distinctly Provençal wines, with perfumed, layered character and solid concentration. The best will benefit from additional cellaring, yet given their wealth of fruit, they dish out plenty of pleasure today. The Regions

While it's been common to group the Roussillon and the Languedoc together, these are two distinctly different wine regions that merit their own reports. The wines from the Languedoc show more similarities to the wines of the Southern Rhône (and often the Northern Rhône), but as you move further west into Corbières and Fitou, and then into the Roussillon, the wines gain additional richness and ripeness, and have more in common with those of Catalunya and Priorat in Spain than the Rhône. Grenache - which takes a slight backseat in the Languedoc - becomes more dominant in the Roussillon as well.

Unfortunately, the current AOC regulations appear to be mired in French politics and have very little to do with producing quality wine. While you're likely to find higher quality wines released under the AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages than released under the basic AOC Côtes du Roussillon, everything is fair game after that and there are poor to excellent wines in all of the appellations. While I did more in-depth overviews of the AOCs in my intro last year, it's worth quickly going over the main dry red AOCs/IGP classifications again to give context to the reviews.

The two largest regions are AOC Côtes Catalanes and AOC Côtes du Roussillon (3,814 and 4,473 hectare respectively). The AOC Côtes du Roussillon lies mostly in the southern part of the Roussillon (it overlaps the Aspres terroir), yet also includes part of the Agly Valley and the Fenouillèdes in the north, and a coastal strip along the Mediterranean in the east. Reds, rosés and whites are made here and most use this designation for their entry-level releases. The AOC Côtes Catalanes covers roughly the same areas (as well as the AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages), yet gives much more flexibility with regards to blend and winemaking regulations. Those wanting to focus on single-variety wines are forced to use IGP Côtes Catalanes and some vignerons have completely abandoned the AOC in favor of this designation.

In the southern part of the Roussillon, to the south and west of , the AOC Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres covers 102 hectare and was created in 2003. The terroir is largely flat to rolling hills with the soil comprised of rolled pebbles, gravel, clay and limestone. Syrah and Mourvèdre are the dominate grapes here, and the wines are required to have 12 months of élevage.

Following that, you have the AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages (1,741 hectare) and then the specific villages identified for their unique terroir, including Latour de France, Caramany, and . These are all located in the northern part of the Roussillon. Soil types can be broken down as follows: Latour de France has brown schist; Caramany has gneiss (pronounced "nice") and granite; Lesquerde has granite; and Tautavel has red clay and limestone. These AOCs are reserved only for red wines, with the varieties allowed mirroring that of the AOC Côtes du Roussillon. However, no Mourvèdre is allowed under the AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany and AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde.

In the same northern region of the Agly Valley, the newly created AOC Maury Sec (185 hectare) is designated for dry reds from the incredibly unique, black schist soils around the village of Maury. Grenache rules here and there are some true gems from this rugged, hot terroir. Lastly, the AOC covers 325 hectare and lies in the southernmost sector of the Roussillon, around the beautiful, seaside villages of Collioure, Banyuls, Port- Vendres and Cerbère. These steep schist slopes facing the Mediterranean produce perfumed, elegant reds, whites and rosés based largely on Grenache, which has to be over 60% of the blend. In the same area is the tiny AOC Côte Vermeille that covers a scant seven hectare and exists from reasons unbeknownst to me.

A Word on Low to Zero Sulfur Bottlings

More and more, I taste too many young wines from the South of France, almost all of which are bottled under the natural wine/no sulfur movement and that are already showing signs of oxidation and bacterial issues. I see this in wines provided from the domaines (which is the most alarming) as well as from bottles tasted in the United States. If I'm seeing these traits on wines from the domaines, which presumably have been stored in reasonable conditions and shipped only short distances, I can only imagine how poorly these wines will show when subjected to shipping across the Atlantic Ocean and the three-tier system in the United States. While I am 100% behind the movement toward organic/sustainable farming and bottling with reasonably low sulfur levels, this ridiculous zero sulfur movement needs a wakeup call. Any wine labeled as zero sulfur (or sans soufre in French) should be treated with caution. Count me as one consumer who won't be buying.

The Wines

The vast majority of these wines were tasted in January, 2015, when I travelled through the region.

As always, thanks for reading.

—Jeb Dunnuck

2012 Domaine de l'Edre Cotes du Roussillon Villages l'Edre A Proprietary Blend Dry Red Table wine from France, Cotes du Roussillon Villages, Cotes du Roussillon, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Current Source Reviewer Rating Maturity (Release) Cost

eRobertParker.com #218 Drink: 2015 -

Jeb Dunnuck 96 (27) Apr 2015 2025

The top wine of the estate, the 2012 Côtes du Roussillon Villages l’Edre came in well above the top end of last year’s barrel sample and offers sensational crème de cassis, vanilla bean, green olive and licorice characteristics. Full-bodied, ultra-pure, layered and with a voluptuous, decadent feel, it stays remarkably graceful and light on the palate, and is a joy to drink. Enjoy it anytime over the coming decade or more. Add to Print List

eRobertParker.com #212 Drink: 2014 -

Jeb Dunnuck (92-94) (60) Apr 2014 2024

The 2012 Cotes du Roussillon Villages L’Edre, which was scheduled to be bottled soon after this visit, it possessed an inky purple color to go with ripe, pure notes of cassis, black raspberry, spice, black olive, licorice and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, rich and decadently styled, it’s a serious Cotes du Roussillon Villages to drink over the coming decade.

These superb Roussillons are made by Jacques Castany and Pascal Dieunidou from their cellar located in the village of . In most vintages they produce a crisp, refreshing white, an entry level red, and their top cuvee, the L’Edre. Both reds show the Roussillon-styled chocolaty dark fruit, yet are balanced and beautifully drinkable. During the visit I was able to do a small vertical of their top bottling, the Cotes du Roussillon Villages L’Edre. First made in 2003, this cuvee is always a rough blend of 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 10% Carignan and 5% Mourvedre that’s aged in new oak barrels.

www.edre.fr;

Importer: Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton VA; tel. (540) 347-9400

2006 Domaine de l'Edre Cotes du Roussillon Villages l'Edre A Proprietary Blend Dry Red Table wine from France, Cotes du Roussillon Villages, Cotes du Roussillon, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Current Source Reviewer Rating Maturity (Release) Cost

eRobertParker.com #218 Drink: 2015 -

Jeb Dunnuck 93 (26) Apr 2015 2025

I sourced a bottle of the 2006 Cotes du Roussillon Villages l’Edre locally to see how it was evolving. Still youthful, yet with some maturity and drinking beautifully, it has lots of exotic lavender, dried violets, spring flowers and iodine/Sea Breeze-like qualities as well as a core of sweet black raspberry and cassis fruit. Taking plenty of time to open up, this medium to full-bodied, silky and polished Roussillon has loads of charm, plenty of remaining fruit and a great finish. It has another decade of longevity.

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Wine Advocate #183 Drink: 2009 -

David Schildknecht 92 (52) Jun 2009 2016

The 2006 Cotes du Roussillon Villages L’Edre was oddly reduced on first opening, with cassis leaf and pungent smokiness along with the sweet side of black currant, black raspberry and blueberry jam. But then the heavens – well, at least, the reductive curtain – were parted, and the glory of this wine revealed. With more brightness but less caressing texture and richness than the 2007, it invigorates the palate even as it is coated with sappy fruit concentrate. Pencil lead and a savory saline note add dynamic contrast in the finish to the wine’s sheer sweetness of fruit and there is a lot of lift and a semblance of elegance here. I imagine this will be worth following for at least 5-7 years. Give this time in a decanter if serving soon.

Jacques Castany and Pascal Dieunidou moved into a cellar just down the street from Domaine du Clos des Fees in 2002, and have accumulated their estate through small inherited parcels, but they still have full-time jobs outside. Inspired by wines of the Northern Rhone, they have chosen to emphasize Syrah to an extent one seldom encounters in Roussillon – although, I hasten to add that I can find no similarity between the wines here and those of the Northern Rhone.

Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; tel. (540) 347 9400

About Maturity and Drink Dates: Most reviews in The Wine Advocate include a period during which the wine should ideally be consumed. We express it as a range of years (Drink Dates) and we use that range to calculate a 'Maturity' for the wine as of the current date. Maturity values are: Young - the early drink date is in the future; Early - first third of the drink date range; Mature - middle third of the range; Late - last third of the range; Old - the late drink date is in the past.

2012 Domaine de l'Edre Du Roussillon Villages Carrement Rouge A Proprietary Blend Dry Red Table wine from France, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Current Source Reviewer Rating Maturity (Release) Cost

eRobertParker.com #218

Jeb Dunnuck 90 Drink: N/A (15) Apr 2015

I rated the 2012 Du Roussillon Villages Carrement the same as last year. Fruity, rounded and medium to full- bodied, with lots of blackcurrant, peppery spice, scorched earth and spring flower notes, drink it over the coming 4-5 years. The blend here is 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 15% Carignan, all of which was brought up in older oak.

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eRobertParker.com #212 Drink: 2014 -

Jeb Dunnuck 90 (38) Apr 2014 2019

Slightly fresher, with similar dark fruits, chalky minerality and pepper, the 2012 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Carrement (same blend/elevage as the 2011) is medium to full-bodied, nicely focused and clean, with a great finish that’s framed by enough tannin to warrant another 6-12 months of bottle age. It should evolve gracefully through 2019 or so.

These superb Roussillons are made by Jacques Castany and Pascal Dieunidou from their cellar located in the village of Vingrau. In most vintages they produce a crisp, refreshing white, an entry level red, and their top cuvee, the L’Edre. Both reds show the Roussillon-styled chocolaty dark fruit, yet are balanced and beautifully drinkable. During the visit I was able to do a small vertical of their top bottling, the Cotes du Roussillon Villages L’Edre. First made in 2003, this cuvee is always a rough blend of 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 10% Carignan and 5% Mourvedre that’s aged in new oak barrels. www.edre.fr;

Importer: Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton VA; tel. (540) 347-9400