Roussillon Wine

[endless autumn]

I'm going down to visit my parents inthe Pyrenees Orientales and will be coming back laden with wine.

I have some favourite (obvious) producers: Domaine Gauby, Domaine du Mas Blanc etc. but wondered if anyone had any particular recommendations...

[Craig Camp]

I am a big fan of the wines of Jerome Malet at Domaine Sarda-Malet. Click here for his website.

[endless autumn]

Thanks - the Terroir de Mailloles looks like serious stuff.

[Craig Camp]

Thanks - the Terroir de Mailloles looks like serious stuff.

You would be correct. Great stuff.

[Chris Kissack]

I have a number of Roussillon wines stacked up waiting for tasting, but I won't be tasting them until I've worked my way through the better producers of the Languedoc. But for your information, the producers I selected included the following:

Cotes du Roussillon and similar wines (as you are travelling to the region I have included the nearest village/town in brackets):

Gauby (Calce)

Domaine Casenove (Trouillas)

Domaine Sarda Malet (Perpignan)

Domaine Vaquer (Tresserre) - don't be put off by the fact that many of these wines are vin de pays and even vin de table - this is a fine producer who simply chooses to work outside the AOC regulations.

Maury:

Mas Amiel

Banyuls & Collioure:

Domaine du Mas Blanc

Domaine la Rectorie

Enjoy your trip

Chris Kissack

[endless autumn]

thanks chris - I'd had a look at your site but it seemed you were in the process of drinking your way through the roussillon at the moment and hadn't had the time to report back. (Very good suggestions for the Languedoc though - thank you.)

I haven't heard of Dom. Vaquer before so I'll have a look while I'm down there.

(I'm glad to see that we haven't been going too far wrong, though: Casenove is one of our favourites and we dulled the pain of a particularly depressing family party with an excellent - though unready - Gauby Muntada last weekend.)

[Chris Kissack]

we dulled the pain of a particularly depressing family party with an excellent - though unready - Gauby Muntada last weekend

This sounds like excellent advice for any family party. I always have a decent red to follow the Champagne that I tend to pour at my children's birthday parties. Do you mind if I ask which vintage of Muntada you drank?

BWs

Chris Kissack

Edited March 17, 2004 by Chris Kissack (log)

[endless autumn]

The Muntada was a 2001 - way too early for it to be showing off yet.

They've just started selling it at Majestic and though it's hefty £50 a bottle, it's about the same as in France (if you can get a bottle - all the Belgians buy it up on release it seems).

To tell the truth, I think the Vielles Vignes is just about as good at half the price (much less in France).