Côtes du Roussillon

The Côtes du Roussillon vineyards stretch between the Corbières massif and the Pyrenees, covering more than 5,600 hectares across 118 municipalities in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. Within this appellation, 32 municipalities are eligible for the Côtes du Roussillon Villages appellation, which produces only red wines. Within this latter appellation, four localities are particularly distinguished and benefit from a specific appellation: Côtes du Roussillon Villages "Caramany," Côtes du Roussillon Villages "Lesquerde," Côtes du Roussillon Villages "Tautavel" and Côte du Roussillon Villages "Latour de France," the latter covering the five municipalities of Latour de France, Cassagnes, Montner, Estagel, and Planèzes.

The Côtes du Roussillon and Côtes du Roussillon Villages vineyards occupy soils and subsoils that are very diverse in geological terms (limestone, clay-limestone, schist, gneiss, granite, alluvial terraces, etc.) across five large areas: the Agly valley (in the north), the Têt valley (in the center), the Tech valley (in the south) and the Salanque plain, on the Mediterranean coast (in the east).

Production is around 175,000 hectoliters per year, of which approximately 30% is red wine, 65% is rosé wine, and 4% is white wine made from traditional Roussillon grape varieties (Grenache noir and blanc, Carignan, Lladoner Pelut, Cinsault, Macabeu, Malvoisie du Roussillon) and more recently introduced aromatic grape varieties (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermentino). Côtes du Roussillon red wines are full-bodied, fruity, and spicy. The rosés are notable for their fresh aromas reminiscent of red berries and floral notes. The white wines are fine and delicate with notes of citrus, white-fleshed fruits, and floral scents. To best discover these blends, we particularly recommend the wines offered by Domaine Sarda-Malet. In the Côtes du Roussillon Villages appellation, excellent examples of the quality of the terroirs can be found among the wines of Domaine du Clos des Fées, Mas Karolina, Mas Amiel, Domaine Gardiès, and Maison M. Chapoutier.