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90 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 O f all the winemaking regions in France, pos- sibly none is more unique, or more remote, than the region of Roussillon. Located on the Mediterranean Coast just a couple of hours north of Barcelona, Roussillon is an arid and windy region nestled between the Eastern Pyrenees (Pyrenées Orientales) sepa - rating France from Spain on its southern end, and the Massif des Corbières on its northern end . The mountain ranges form a vast amphitheater that helps moderate the grow- ing conditions and provide the perfect climate for making some of France's most interesting and elegant wines. While politically within France today, Roussillon is also called Northern Catalonia (or French Catalonia), and its history is thoroughly linked to both France and Spain, with upwards of 50 percent of its population either speaking or at least understanding Catalan. "We are French, yes, but Catalan first," says Eric Aracil, a Roussillon native and Export Director for the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Roussillon (CIVR), the governing body for the region's wine industry and wine marketing initiatives. As such, the wines produced in Roussillon can, at times, have what many consider a decidedly Spanish quality to them. As for climate and geography, Roussillon is both a coastal and mountain wine region all in one, a point that intrigues Lewis Kopman of LeDu's Wines in New York's West Village. "I think something really magical hap - pens when you marry high-elevation winemaking with a Mediterranean climate, says Kopman, adding, "There really { france } Elegance Concentration and Although rich and powerful, the wines of Roussillon proved an elegant match for the cuisine at Bar Americain in New York City. "The reds are full-bodied but show elegance and easy-to-pair versatility," says Jeff Harding, Wine Director of New York's The Waverly Inn. Shown here, the Domaine de Mas Amiel 2013 Origine and the M. Chapoutier Domaine de Bila-Haut 2014 Occultum Lapidem (see tasting notes below). Th IN SOUTHERNMOST FRANCE, ROUSSILLON HOPES TO FILL YOUR GLASS by David Ransom / photos by Doug Young