News from Roussillon

Old vines are a significant part of Roussillon’s heritage. In the 1980s and 1990s, when many European wine producers were uprooting indigenous vines in favour of more bankable international varieties, Roussillon vignerons held onto their homegrown stars. Today, the result is a patchwork of mature vines – some almost 150... Read More

Grenaches, Carignans, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Macabeu are often the varietals that spring to mind when considering the signature wines of Roussillon but there is one name in particular which has shaped the fortunes of the region for centuries (going back to Greek Antiquity): Muscat. Muscat is not a single variety but... Read More

Tim Atkin’s 2023 Languedoc Roussillon Special Report, written by Matthew Stubbs MW, was released earlier this month. 220 Roussillon wines were tasted and marked in preparation of the report, covering 13 AOPs and 2 IGPs across red, white, rose and fortified sweet styles. In line with recent trends, Roussillon’s dry... Read More

JamesSuckling.com published its 2023 Languedoc Roussillon Annual Report at the end of August. It features 302 Roussillon wines and results are impressive. In total, 262 wines scored 90 or above (out of the 100 points scoring system). 94 achieved 92 or plus points. Roussillon is described as a “distinctive enclave... Read More

This year, the Grenaches du Monde competition packed its bags and jumped over the ‘pond’ to hold its rounds of judging in New York, USA. It was the first time in the 11-year history of Grenaches du Monde that the competition took place outside Europe, a move that reflects the... Read More

Roussillon’s Mediterranean climate and privileged geographical location bring real advantages to vine production. Although better placed than most to withstand extreme weather events Roussillon is still facing multiple challenges in increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions. The biggest one is water scarcity Roussillon is heading towards a very dry summer. France has... Read More

Maury’s rugged beauty delivers powerful and elegant dry and fortified-sweet wines. Located in the north-western corner of Roussillon, in a naturally shaped corridor between the Corbières and Pyrenees mountain ranges, Maury’s vineyards are centred across 4 communes: Maury, Tautavel, Saint-Paul de Fenouillet and Rasiguères. 224 and 165 hectares of vineyards... Read More

Vinipôle Roussillon’s experimental vineyard, enters a new phase of development as it welcomes a new collection of drought-resistant varietals. Eighteen new varietals have been planted on a 0.2-hectare plot in the experimental Rivesaltes vineyard. They include 12 white and 6 red varietals. Some are already well known such as Alvarinho,... Read More