Writing about the wines of Piemonte, Italy and France
The wines of Roussillon
This weekend saw the chance to taste two interesting but very contrasting sweet wines. I am sorry that it was only after the event that I thought to take the photo. It was one of those evenings that sort of ‘developed’ as it went along But if are very sharp sighted and use a bit
Quality wine develops over time. If a wine has sufficient fruit, acidity, structure and tannins, it can develop over the years in the bottle, in exceptional cases over decades. This is well known in relation to the classic wine regions. But what about up and coming ones – in this case, Roussillon? Most wines in
Ageing gracefully in Roussillon Read More »
Andover Wine Friends’ September tasting featured a comparison between two very different French wine regions: Sancerre very much in the middle of this large country in the aptly named ‘Central Vineyards’ and Roussillon, 600 kilometres further south and on Spain’s Mediterranean border. The contrasts between the two regions are marked: Sancerre Roussillon historic vineyard with
Sancerre meets Roussillon Read More »
Mystery and suspense currently surround the village of Bugarach. Situated 75 kilometres from the Mediterranean and 110 from the Spanish border, it lies at 460m above sea level but is completely overshadowed by the Pic de Bugarach, a mountain in the foothills of the Pyrenees, which rises to 1230m. The first mystery is the weather
Mysterious Bugarach Read More »
Some wines have a defining quality. The sharp acidity and mineral quality of Chablis or the big bones of Molletieri’s Taurasi have been commented on in recent posts. The defining character of Roussillon’s wines is sunshine and lots of it. Tucked up against the Spanish border, this Catalan region is literally sun-drenched, with the most
Roussillon – sunshine and big fruit Read More »