Discover the Agly Valley
The wild terroir of the Agly Valley oscillates between granite, schist and black marl surrounded by garrigue. It is sheltered by the Corbières hills in the north and by the foothills of the Pyrenees in the south. Home to complex wines with character where Grenache often dominates.
The black soils of Maury
Located upstream along the Agly Valley in the North of the Oriental Pyrenees department, vineyards are planted on rugged hillsides of black schist surrounding the village of Maury. This is the home of the Maury Sec appellation, Roussillon’s youngest AOP.
The cliff faces that overlook the village to the North and South are made of very pure limestone and the valley floor is covered with black schist-marl. Dating from the Cretaceous period, this marl produces shallow black soils, forcing vines to put down deep roots.
Vineyards are planted predominantly with black Grenache, alongside other varietals like black Carignan, Mourvèdre, Syrah and small quantities of Lledoner Pelut.
The Corbières southern foothills
South of Maury, the vineyards of AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde lie on a plateau of granitic sand rising 300m above sea level. This is a very unique terroir, both due to its location and the composition of its soil, planted with black Grenache, black Carignan, Syrah and Lledoner Pelut.
Further East, nestled against the southern foothills of the Corbières, the vineyards of the AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel appellation are planted over limestone-dominant soils with pockets of schist-marl. Black grenache, black Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Lledoner Pelut can be found here.
The red soils of Caramany and Latour-de-France
Heading towards the south-East and the village of Caramany, Precambrian gneiss and granite dominate. Soils, with their signature red hue, are the key to the superb quality of the wines produced in the AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany area. Vineyards are planted with black Grenache, black Carignan, Syrah and Lledoner Pelut.
Down river, the AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour-de-France, with its characteristic grey-brown schist soils, is nestled in the hillsides. Varietals grown are black Grenache, black Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Lledoner Pelut.
For more information on the AOPs above, please click here and for a geological map, click here.
