Domaine La Tour Vieille - Banyuls Reserva NV (750ml)

Price: $37.99

Producer	Domaine La Tour Vieille
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Varietal	Grenache, Grenache Gris, Carignan
Sku	59340
Size	750ml

Domaine La Tour Vieille Description

The vibrant little seaport town of Collioure is nestled on the Mediterranean coast, just north of the Spanish border, in the area known as French Catalonia. In 1981, Vincent Cantié and Christine Campadieu took over two small, family-owned domaines where they had grown up, in Collioure and Banyuls, respectively. Together, they farm vineyards planted on steep, schist terraces overlooking the sea, where they are constantly exposed to the fierce and wily wind known as “La Tramontagne.” This constant wind not only ensures naturally low yields, but also keeps the grapes free of mildew with little need for pesticides or copper sulfate. Their vineyards are so steep that cultivation must be by hand, and extensive irrigation canals and walls (all made from the schist rock) are their only prevention against soil erosion, although there is almost no soil left to recede! These canals snake down the hillsides, separating the parcels. At harvest, the grapes are carried up and down the mountain in baskets. This method of farming, while extremely challenging, preserves the traditions of their ancestors. Such ideals have inspired two documentaries, Wine From the Heart by Yasha Aginsky (2002), and a short film sponsored by Project NOÉ for the defense of the European viticultural heritage.

Though the majority of the Tour Vieille holdings are planted with Grenache Noir, they also work with Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Macabeo, Syrah, and Carignan. They have several single vineyard bottlings of Collioure, and several cuvées of Banyuls, from Christine’s family’s holdings. Banyuls, neighbor of Collioure, sits only two kilometers from the Spanish border; it is famous for its fortified wines.

The final blend for each “Reserva” bottling is composed of the blended tank of wine aged in glass jars, with various other vintages from barrels and foudre. The resulting blend has an average of wine age of 5 years—the youngest wine being 1 year old and the oldest being 13 years old. Residual sugar of 90 to 96 g/L

Wine Advocate: 89 Points

A blend of Syrah and Grenache (including a bit of Grenache Gris), the 2018 Collioure Rose des Roches is a flamingo-hued wine with ample fruit on the nose, led by passion fruit and cherries. It's medium to full-bodied for a rosé, with plenty of flavor and richness, even a slightly creamy texture. More rich than refreshing but probably excellent with grilled meats over the summer months.