Roussillon

The name comes from Ruscino, an Ibero-Ligurian town that flourished from the sixth century BC. The specification credits the Phocaeans of Marseille, about 600 BC, with teaching vine pruning and winemaking. The first famous wines were "vins de liqueur" from very sweet grapes, which could be kept for a long time in oxidative conditions; dry wines, without cool underground cellars, were drunk young and locally. Through the ports of Collioure and Port-Vendres the wines became known, and in the eighteenth century Sète merchants used them to strengthen Languedoc wines. Roussillon joined France by the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. In 1816 Jullien divided its dry reds into three zones. The vins doux naturels became AOCs in 1936. Dry wines were recognised as VDQS in 1951 and 1952, grouped as Côtes du Roussillon in 1972, and became an AOC on 28 March 1977.

The vineyard fills a wide amphitheatre open to the east, framed by Canigou (2,780 m) to the west, the Albères (Roc de France, 1,450 m) to the south and the Corbières (Mont Tauch, 878 m) to the north. The Agly, Têt and Tech cross it toward the sea and have built many terraces. Erosion, marine deposits and old rocks raised by the Pyrenean uplift mean that every geological era is represented. Côtes du Roussillon parcels lie on steep schist or limestone slopes in the north, on clay-sand molasse hills in the south and on stony valley terraces; their soils are dry, poor, stony and well drained. The climate has hot summers and mild winters, more than 2,500 hours of sun, 500–650 mm of often stormy rain in spring and autumn, and a mean of 13–14 °C, cooler to the west and with height. The Tramontane blows about one day in three: it keeps the vines healthy but adds to the drought.

The specification describes how growers match grapes to sites: drought-tolerant Grenache and Carignan on the poor, arid slopes; late Mourvèdre in the hottest, most sheltered places; wind-sensitive Syrah, usually trellised, on cooler soils, with the main white grapes, Grenache Blanc, Macabeu and Tourbat. The reds are deep in colour, with red fruit and spice, a firm structure and ripe, velvety tannins. Rosés are deep pink, fruity and round. Whites are golden, with white flowers, exotic fruit or citrus, either fresh and mineral or fuller.

Côtes du Roussillon covers dry still red, rosé and white wine, each from at least two grapes. Reds have Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah as principal grapes, together at least 80%; the main grape may not exceed 70% (Carignan 50%), Mourvèdre and Syrah must make up at least 25%, and Cinsault and Lledoner Pelut are accessories. Rosés have Grenache, Syrah and Grenache Gris as principal grapes. Whites have Grenache Blanc, Macabeu and Tourbat, locally called Malvoisie du Roussillon, as principal grapes. The base yield is 48 hl/ha. Collioure and Maury Sec are other dry wines; Banyuls, Rivesaltes, Maury Doux and Muscat de Rivesaltes are vins doux naturels; and IGP Côtes Catalanes and Côte Vermeille add further identities.