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92 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 WHITE ROSÉ RED Mas Karolina 2015 IGP Côtes Catalanes ($14) A blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabeu and Carignan Blanc. The Grenache is barrel- fermented, the rest in stainless steel. KL WINES Les Vignerons de Tautavel-Vingrau 2016 Le Cirque Rosé, IGP Côtes Catalanes ($14) One of the first French rosé wines imported to the U.S., a blend of Black Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. HAND PICKED SELECTIONS Domaine Ferrer- Ribière 2015 Empreinte du Temps Mourvèdre, IGP Côtes Catalanes ($15) 100% Mourvèdre from organic vineyards. Maceration for 45 days, full tank only, during a couple of months before bottling. THE WINE LIST INC Domaine St Sébastien 2014 Inspiration Minérale, AOP Collioure ($50) 90% Grey Grenache, 10% White Grenache. Fermented at 61° F in new 600-liter oak barrels. Complex, with strong mineral- ity, hence the name. QUIGLEY FINE WINES Domaine Treloar 2013 Le Secret, AOP Côtes du Roussillon ($ 21.99) 80% Syrah, 20% Black Grenache. Hand-picked fruit; native-yeast fermentation over a two week period. 12 months in French oak barrels. LOUBATON IMPORTS LLC Château de l'Ou 2015 Secret de Schistes, IGP Côtes Catalanes ($29.90) 100% Syrah, manually harvested, putting whole into oak bar- rels for 3–4 weeks of maceration before being pressed; 12 months aging before bottling. FRANCKI WINE LLC { france } native varieties grown, such as the white grape Malvoisie du Roussillon (sometimes called Tourbat), Grenache Gris and the red grape Lladoner Pelut. While the climatic conditions tend to produce more powerful wines, there is a certain elegance to all of Roussillon's offerings, even the fortified Vin Doux Naturel. "The wines are big without being heavy," says Jeff Harding, Wine Director of New York's The Waverly Inn, who actually lived in Roussillon for a time and carries a number of the region's wines at the restaurant, and even incorporates a Vin Doux Naturel from AOP Maury in his cocktail program. "For me, the Macabeu and Grenache Blanc are full-bodied and a nice alternative to Chardonnay, and can express themselves as robust, salty, grand or simple and fresh. The reds are full-bodied but show elegance and easy-to-pair versatility." LeDu's Lewis agrees, adding, "I am increasingly attracted to Roussillon wines and the trend towards local grape varieties grown at higher elevations in the Pyrenees. In these wines at their best, this results in a really amazing combination of concentration and elegance." Roussillon's fabled Vins Doux Naturels (VDNs) are a superb match for desserts.