Within the natural amphitheatre of the Roussillon we work from the steep mountain slopes down to the edge of the sea...

Our passion for this place and its wines started with Grenache and Carignan. Sourced from sites as diverse as the schist and limestone hillsides and high plateaus of Maury and the dramatic vertiginous terraces overlooking the azure sea at Collioure, sites that inspired us on our first visit and that still cause a sharp intake of breath even now.

The Roussillon resembles a natural amphitheatre fronting onto the Mediterranean, enclosed by mountains on all sides.

Roussillon / Agly Vallée

BY NATURE, A FINE WINE AREA.

With three hundred days of sunshine a year, low rainfall and constant strong winds that alternate between mountain and sea, yields are naturally low and result in  rich and intense wines.

Thousands of years of winemaking tradition help too but the Roussillon has been caught by the pace of change in recent times as demand for the great fortified wines which were the mainstay of the area softened. Many of the great old vineyards we work have found an alternative calling and increasing recognition as a source for intense, rich and vibrant red and white wines of the highest quality.

Our Maury site is located upstream along the Agly Vallée. It is here the cliff faces are formed of the purest white limestone whilst the valley floor is carpeted with black schist-marl.

Roussillon / The Villages

UNIQUE CHARACTER & DIVERSITY

The terroir of the Côtes du Roussillon Villages is marked by the Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild winters, along with the diverse soil types ranging from schist and granite to clay and limestone. This terroir imparts distinct flavors and aromas to the wines. The warm, dry climate is well-suited to organic vine growing and we are working to introduce more organic wines to the  ranges.

Caramany, Lesquerde, Latour-de-France, Tautavel and Les Aspres all feature in our vineyard network but also the non-named cru status villages such as Tarerach.

Red wines dominate production, with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre as the primary grape varieties though we have brought focus to Carignan and Cinsault. Our time has been well spent investing in white wine, crafting elegant wines from; Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and even Carignona Blanc grapes.

Haute Vallée de L'Aude & Limoux

COOLER CLIMATE CLASSICS.

A short distance away and still in the shadow of the Pyrénées we work within a very different context.  A cooler Atlantic influence reaching across from the east, bringing autumn and winter clouds that draw the sky lower and edge out the sun for long periods bringing with them a little more rain.

Here we work mostly with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both a little more restrained, a little more taut and a little less heady by nature. Yet if many things are different much remains the same. The importance of site and working in that context to achieve natural balance in the vineyard, the intriguing textural qualities of each variety and the yearly challenge of teasing out the most subtle nuances – all with the same aim of capturing vital energy and character in the final wine.

Beyond Roussillon

OVER THE HILLS, INTO THE VALLEY.

There is plenty in the wilds of the Roussillon to keep us here but we are adventurous souls. Some of the mountain passes we traverse, take us to other well-known areas to forage for the new and rediscover the old. Travelling west, uphill, through the villages of the Fenouillèdes and then passing through the narrow gorge at the head of the valley takes you out of the suntrap of the Roussillon.

We move away from the strong Mediterranean influence and through the foothills of the Pyrénées, out into very different land, the haute valley of the Aude. It’s a short trip, less than an hour but the difference is huge. The land is lush due to the higher rainfall and the temperature noticeably lower. The vineyards are trellised, often cane pruned. There is soil where in the Roussillon we often have only stone.