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organic vegetables and poultry (grange is French for "barn"). A hovering falcon graces the labels of his Domaine Patrice Ey wines, including the racy, charming 2009 Sóc Grenache Blanc ("Grenache is a transparent grape that expresses the characteristics of our terroir," says Ey) and the richly-styled 2010 Saint Esprit Muscat de Rivesaltes. Laurent de Besombes Singla in the barrel room at Domaine Singla. Up Schist Creek The Roussillon's most distinctive wines come from vineyards consisting of schist—a black, angularly shaley rock. The region is actually a potpourri of soil types that change abruptly from place to place, even within the same vineyard, like an irregular Schist is a distinctive and highly prized soil type in Roussillonais vineyards. patchwork quilt. This makes possibly a wide (and perhaps confusing) range of flavor profiles and stylistic expressions. Lack of a consistent soil type—such as Champagne's famous chalk—may be to the Roussillon's benefit or not, depending on one's point of view. But it's the schist that cre- ates the flinty, stoically structured wines of which the Roussillonnais are, justly, most proud. 84 / the tasting panel / november 201 1 Instead, these small producers are said to be making vin de garage. The Singla dry wines, biodynami- cally produced, were some of the best bottles we tasted, with beautifully expressed fruit and sun-driven ripe- ness, yet showing fine, controlled tannins and aristocratic restraint. His Domaine Singla 2007 Castell Vell is a young, aggressively styled Syrah with gorgeous spice flavors and an unabashed dose of oak, while his 2009 Bressol is a stylish, fruit-forward Grenache. In addition to his vanguard dry wines, the Heritage du Temps col- lection contains stunning expressions of the family's vin doux naturel dating back several decades. The wines are imported by Five Grapes in Sonoma. Proving that great things can come from unassuming places, Domaine de l'Edre is housed in a small garage in tiny Vingrau, where co-owners Pascal Dieunidou and Jacques Castany craft some of the most ambitious wines in the region. They are committed to dry wines only, sourced from remote parcels scattered in the surround- ing hillsides. Both the Domaine de l'Edre Carrément Blanc (Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Roussanne and Macabeu) and Carrément Rouge (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) are gorgeously expressive wines with a great balance between fruit-forward substance and stylish restraint. The portfolio is with Hand Picked Selections in the U.S. The term grangeiste rather than garagiste describes Patrice Ey, a farmer-winemaker who also raises Tradition with a Difference English-born John Hesford was a Merrill Lynch IT guy when 9/11 happened, causing him to reevaluate his life. He and his wife wound up in the Roussillon, buying an existing winery and renaming it Domaine Treloar. These are some of the most progressive, "New World" wines in the region, and Hesford admits he sometimes bends the appellation rules a bit (as do others). His Motus (Latin for "mum's the word) is a 95% Mourvèdre with polish and loads of style, and his other offerings are equally compelling, handled Stateside by Bradley Allen. A boutique operation in the village of Estagel, Domaine des Schists is John Hesford in the vineyards at Domaine Treloar. operated by father-son team Jacques and Mickaël Sire and produces an accomplished range of both dry and VDN wines, handled by P-S Wines and VOS Selections in the States. Meanwhile at Domaine de la Casenove, former photojournalist Etienne Montes now crafts traditional VDNs and blends such as the impres- sive La Garrigue (Grenache-Carignan- Syrah) on a property that once belonged to the Knights Templar. PHOTO: DAVID GADD PHOTO: DAVID GADD