Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/46939
The truth is perhaps less poetic, but no less fascinating. From our base in Perpignan, we traveled to a dozen of the region's diverse win- eries, ably guided by Eric Aracil, a rugby-play- ing Roussillon native who serves as Export Manager for the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Roussillon (CIVR). From impres- sive tourist-friendly spreads with Michelin- listed restaurants to ardent garagistes with a crusher and a dream, these are some of the best-kept secrets in the world of wine. Showplaces of the South Local optimism about the future of the Roussillon's wines burns as brightly in the region as the late August sun. For a taste of it, just visit Domaine Cazes in Rivesaltes. Unrelated to the Bordeaux family of the same name, the estate dates back to 1895 but has been energetically revitalized under the direc- tion of General Manager Lionel Lavail. Since his arrival in 2004, the engaging, debonair Lavail, who looks like he walked straight off the Boulevard St-Germain and into a row of Grenache, has overseen major investment into the place. At 220 hectares, with enough rows of vines to reach from Perpignan to Paris, this is the largest biodynamic producer in the world. Lavail points out the estate's vibrantly healthy vines during a vineyard tour, while lamenting a neglected neighboring parcel. Always seeking to expand the Cazes domain and, more important, improve the region's viticulture, Lavail shrugs his shoulders: "The owner won't sell." Lionel Lavail outside the original farmhouse at Cazes. The new winery is nearby. From Cooperatives to Meta-Cooperatives The smell of juicy, just-harvested Muscat arriving at Vignerons de Cases de Pène attracts not only visiting journalists but a squadron of local wasps as well. The six- person team at this bustling coopera- tive, founded in 1942, represents 60 growers holding a total of 500 hect- ares. Vignerons are paid by quality, and it shows in the co-op's finished wines, including a soft, mouth-filling Cuvée de Peña 2010 Viognier with alluring white peach flavors and Biodynamic principles assure healthy grapes at Domaine Cazes. At Domaine Piquemal, 33-year-old Marie-Pierre Piquemal shows us around her family's spacious winery and tasting room—one of the newest facilities in the Roussillon. The wines, including the big, full-bodied and brambly Pygmalion (70% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 5%Carignan), are handled in the states by Michael Sullivan of Beaune Imports. A good place to get a feel for the deep history of the region is at Mas Amiel, situated under the watchful eye of the medieval Cathar stronghold of Quéribus. Here, old meets new as traditional glass demijohns used to age vin doux naturel stretch out in front of the modern winery. the Château de Péna 2006 Côtes du Roussillon Villages, a Sryah-Grenache-Carignan blend with an intriguing hint of juniper on the nose. The Château de Péna Rivesaltes Ambré is served with crunchy biscuits in the manner of vin santo. The wines are imported by Hand Picked Selections. Taking the idea of a cooperative to the next level is the important Vignerons Catalans. "We are a group of collec- tives," explains Communications Manager Anne Lataste over dinner at excellent bistro Al Très, tucked away in a narrow medieval street in Perpignan. The meta-cooperative, founded in 1964, is responsible for a whopping 40 million bottles a year, the output of 11 different cooperatives representing 2,500 growers, imported in the U.S. by Wine Wine Situation in Los Angeles, among others. Vivacious Vins de Garage "That's where France begins," says Laurent de Besombes Singla, with only the slightest trace of irony. The young vintner is pointing on a map to the Corbières, the mountain range that separates the Roussillon from Languedoc in the north. Singla's sly comment is indicative of just how separate the Roussillonnais feel from non-Catalan France. While the barrel room at Domaine Singla is, literally, a garage, and the homey tasting room is on the ground floor of Laurent's rambling house, the term garagiste is still considered derogatory in France (it means "car mechanic"). november 201 1 / the tasting panel / 83 PHOTO: DAVID GADD PHOTO: DAVID GADD PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSEIL INTERPROFESSIONNEL DES VINS DU ROUSSILLON