Collioure

The small Collioure wine region flourishes between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountain range in the southernmost part of the Pyrénées-Orientales department, spanning the municipalities of Collioure, Port-Vendres, Banyuls, and Cerbère. The appellation area overlaps with those of Banyuls and Banyuls Grand Cru, covering the municipalities of Collioure, Port-Vendres, Banyuls, and Cerbère. Only about 640 hectares of the appellation’s 1,700 hectares are dedicated to producing AOC Collioure, with an annual output of around 19,000 hectoliters. Since 2003, the wine has been available in three varieties: white, rosé, and red (with red accounting for 70% of production).

Set in a vast amphitheater facing the sea, the Collioure vineyard consists of small terraces held in place by nearly 6,000 kilometers of dry-stone walls, shaped over centuries by generations of winegrowers. The hillsides, with slopes reaching up to 40%, rest on bedrock composed of brown Cambrian schist. The terroir is perfectly showcased in the wines produced by Domaine Coume del Mas, Domaine de la Rectorie, Cave de l'Abbé Rous, and Domaine du Mas Blanc.

In Collioure’s white wines, grapes from old vines of Grenache Gris, blended with Grenache Blanc, bring out the full potential of these terroir-driven wines. This new star of the south pairs perfectly with the richness of Mediterranean cuisine. Early bottling of the rosés helps preserve their freshness and aromatic intensity. These are rosés with character—structured, powerful, and full-bodied. The reds, made from Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan Noir, cannot be sold until July 1 following the harvest, but the vast majority of winemakers age their wines for a year or more. Collioure wines are full-bodied, warm, concentrated, and tannic, and continue to improve in the bottle for many years.