I just got back from France and Spain, where I spent most of my time in both Spanish Catalonia and French Catalonia (or Northern Catalonia). This post will focus on wine tourism in the latter.
Next, I’ll write about my wine tourism experience in Spanish Catalonia. I also spent time in the appellation of Brulhois, which is part of the Southwest France wine region, but didn’t do any particular wine tourism there except having a few bottles with dinner. If you’re interested, I focused on Southwest France last year, and Brulhois is similar to its neighbors growing Merlot, Tannat, Cabernet Franc along with Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and local varieties like Fer (Braucol) and Abouriou.
What/Where is the Côtes Catalanes?
Learning wine regions and appellations can be confusing because you have to deal with historical names, current administrative and political names and official wine denomination names.
The Phoenicians, Greeks and then the Romans were the ones to bring wine to the land that later came to be known as Catalonia by the 12th century. Some say it is named after the Germanic Visigoths, who came after the Romans: “Land of the Goths,” or Gothia – Launia in Latin, while other say it derives from Castelan, or “inhabitants of castles” since both Spanish and French Catalonia are dotted with little forts on top of hills throughout the region.
Like with other parts of Spain, the teetotaling Moors abandoned the vineyards, but wine came back when Christians took complete power of Spain again by the end of the 15th century.
There are too many wars, marriages and treaties to mention all the changing borders and control of this land, but the part of the Principality of Catalonia that was ceded to France by Spain in the 17th century is more or less what is now the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales, in which Perpignan is the biggest city.
In wine terms, this area is called the Côtes Catalanes IGP, which is part of the larger wine region category of Languedoc-Roussillon, which stretches from the Côtes Catalanes along the Mediterranean to roughly Nimes where it borders Provence. It borders the Southwest France wine region to the northwest. However, Languedoc-Roussillon is not an official wine label term.
Within the overall region of Languedoc-Roussillon, there are various large wine designations (IGP or Vin de Pays) like the ones I tasted on this trip: IGP Côtes Catalanes, IGP Cité de Carcassonne and IGP Pays d’Oc. The IGP Pays d’Oc is the one of the largest and most productive IGPs of France, which encompasses most of the Languedoc-Roussillon region including the IGP Cité de Carcassonne and IGP Côtes Catalanes.
Then there are smaller appellations with even stricter requirements within those IGP’s. Within the Côtes Catalanes IGP, the dry wines are labeled Côtes de Roussillon or can even have a more specific village label like Coullioure and Tautavel. There are also the sweet wine appellations of Banyuls, Rivesaltes and Maury within the Côtes Catalanes IGP.
If you’re a huge wine geek based around Perpignan in the IGP Côtes Catalanes, it’s not too far to visit other parts of the Languedoc-Roussillon/Pay d’Oc. Basically, everything to the North and East of Perpignan, you start getting better-known appellations like Corbieres, Minervois, Fitou, Faugeres, Limoux (famous for its Traditional Method Cremant de Limoux sparklings), Picpoul de Pinet or the larger appellation of Languedoc. We passed through several of these appellations, so I’ll include a few notes about them too.
Varieties & Styles
Nowadays the Languedoc-Roussillon region is most known for Southern Rhone red blends with Grenache, Syrah and Carignan in particular and Mourvedre and Cinsault playing lesser roles. The former are also found as monovarietal wines or can dominate the blend. Given the heat, the wines here tend to be riper and higher in alcohol than the Rhone, but I found many producers are toning it down following current trends for fresher, more elegant wines. Some Bordeaux variety wines are also produced here, but usually at the Vin de Pays/Table Wine level or in the appellations bordering the Southwest wine region.
Rosé production is not nearly as robust as Provence, but typically similar varieties are used. White wine production is small but increasing. Like many wine regions, winemakers often experiment and have fun with making other varieties and styles, but a lot of it doesn’t make it outside the winery, region or country. That’s one reason why you need to visit. Most of their whites are also made from Rhone varieties, particularly Grenache Blanc, except in Picpoul de Pinet where they use Picpoul. Rolle, or Vermentino is common too. There’s some Muscat, but it’s often used for sweet wines. I’ve also seen a bit of Sauvignon Blanc. Finally, I already mentioned Cremant de Limoux as the region’s top sparkling producing appellation. Here you might see some Chardonnay.
In the Côtes Catalanes/Côtes de Roussillon in particular, they stick with mostly the same red varieties although Clos des Fees makes a tiny production, 900 euro Pinot Noir. However, among the white monovarietal wines, you can also find Macabeu (just like in Spanish Catalonia and Rioja), Carignan Gris & Blanc, and Grenache Gris. I particularly like the Carignan Gris and Blanc more than the Grenache whites because they have more acidity. The same could be said about Old-Vine Carignan over Grenache Noir too.
The Côtes de Roussillon also stands out for its vins doux naturels, or fortified sweet wines that are sweet due to mutation, which is adding alcohol to stop the fermentation and leave more sugar, similar to Port or Sherry although I find them generally lighter in alcohol than Port. Like with Port, they can be made with white or red grapes. There are vintage versions and non-vintage solera versions. Some are labeled Grenat, which is more like a Ruby Port made with Grenache Noir. Additionally, there are Tuilé and Ambré versions, which are like Tawny Ports with the former being with red grapes and the latter with white grapes. I even tasted rosé versions. Rivesaltes, Maury and Banyuls are the sweet wine appellations from here. They age incredibly well and can last for 6 months kept in a fridge after opening.
A couple of other local sweet wine terms you might see in the Côtes Catalanes are rancio and Byrrh. Rancio is a term used in both Spanish and French Catalonia for sweet wines made in a highly oxidative style intentionally using sunlight and heat. One way they do this is in large, round, clear, glass bottles called bonbonnes, or demijohns. It was shocking to see wineries leaving their wines in clear glass bottles in 35 degree heat in the sun because you’re always told to avoid those things so your wine doesn’t cook. Rancio, like the word “rancid,” intentionally uses the heat to make their wines rancid, or in other words with dried overripe fruit, nutty and melted butter flavors.
Byrrh was invented near Perpignan as a brand of aperitif made with red wine, mistelle, and quinine. It’s sort of like a red vermouth and can be used in cocktails. A typical, local combo is tonic and Byrrh.
Côtes Catalanes Wine Tourism & More
Luckily my sister-in-law had recently moved to Perpignan, so we got free accommodations and local insight. However, the Languedoc-Roussillon region has never been as trendy for tourism as places like Bordeaux or Provence/Côtes d’Azur, so I found things to be quite laid back, less touristy, and cheaper. This goes for the wines as well. The region had been known for cheap bulk wines, but as some producers started lowering yields and focusing on quality, they’ve been making some of the best bargain, crowd-pleasing wines in France. In addition, many of the producers still offer free tastings.
Moreover, French Catalonia is unique from the rest of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Some Catalan and Spanish are still spoken within some households while some Catalonian cultural and food traditions still remain due to its historical origins but also proximity to the border–Perpignan is only 45 minutes to Figueres and 2 hours to Barcelona. On the other hand, if you travel to the nearby Narbonne and further north or east, you start to see more food and cultural traditions similar to other parts of Southwest France like the dish Cassoulet, or French Occitania (Southern France) overall.
Vines in Tautavel
Around Perpignan, you’re more likely to find Spanish and Catalan tapas. Being by the sea, anchovies are common. In addition, you can find La bullinada, a Catalan fish stew. There’s also a Catalan way of making escargot called La Cargolade. For sweets, there’s crème catalane, which is sort of like flan or creme brulee, and rosquille, which is a donut shaped biscuit with lemon and anise. They grow peaches and apricots here too if you want to make a nice tarte.
Basically everywhere you go around Perpignan, you see vineyards, tasting rooms or signs saying Route du Vin. It makes it easy to do other touristy things with your family while also tasting wine or picking up a bottle or three to have with your meal.
Les Gorges du Gouleyrous
The landscape here is gorgeous with the sea, beaches and the Pyrenees mountains. It’s surprisingly quite green despite the hot weather. That has an effect on the wine making too with the influence of the sea and the higher elevation terroir of the Pyrenees. For example, we visited the Gorges du Gouleyrou, which was the perfect place to cool off in the river on a hot summer day, check out the landscape and taste wine in the Tautavel and Maury appellations.
If you have only one day in Perpignan . . .
I would start by watching the sunrise. Many of the beaches actually face east, so you can see the sunrise over the sea, which was a change for me living much of my life in California and now Chile watching the sun set over the ocean. I went to Le Racou Beach in Argelès sur Mer to see it. Then you can have breakfast in Collioure to avoid the crowds since it was voted the prettiest town in France. There are colorful houses, beaches, a fort, mountains decorated with vines and smaller forts in the background, and a windmill as the cherry on top.
Coullioure
Bonbonnes
Around here, you’ll see the vines of the Banyuls appellation and can head over to Les Clos de Paulilles just 10-15 minutes further down the coast. It’s owned by a major Rivesaltes producer, the Cazes family, which I think is not directly related to the Cazes family (Lynch-Bages) in Bordeaux. Here you can do tastings and have lunch in their vineyard next to a secluded beach. You can check out their Banyuls sweet wines aging under the sun in bonbonnes too. This also gives you access to the beach where you can hike the cliffs and vineyards and/or lay on the beach the rest of the day.
If you’re still motivated to taste more wine, you can finish the day by stopping at Domaine Lafage on your way back to Perpignan. The grounds are beautiful with a nice view, and during the summer they host wine and food pairing events as well. It’s one of the most well-known producers from the region, and they have all styles of wines and prices, most of which are incredibly affordable at under 20 euros. Therefore, after you find the wine you want in the tasting, you can grab a bottle to have with dinner. 
I luckily had a week there, so I spread this itinerary out over 7 days and chilled while the kids played on the beach and went to a water park.
*Here’s a good wine shop in Perpignan that sells mostly local wines.
Day Trips from Perpignan
History buffs can also learn the history of the Cathars, a local Christian sect that was wiped out by Crusaders. There are many so-called Cathar castles, which they had once occupied or sought shelter in during the Crusader onslaught. Carcassonne is the most famous and is a bucket-list type destination for all travelers. It’s about 75-90 minutes from Perpignan. The old Robin Hood film with Kevin Costner was filmed there. On the way there, you can also find wineries in the Corbieres, Limoux, and Fitou appellations. If you’re based around Carcassonne, then it’s only an hour to visit wineries in Minervois. Or if you really want to be geeky, check out the nearby Malepere and Cabardes appellations where you start to see a mix of Languedoc-Roussillon red varieties with Southwest France red varieties.
There’s an expression more commonly used in this part of France: on s’est régalé. This roughly means, “we had a great time” or “we indulged.” Essentially, that’s what you’ll experience if you visit the Côtes Catalanes.
Tasting Notes
I tried to focus on wines exclusively from the Côtes Catalanes/Côtes de Roussillon, but we ended up drinking various other Languedoc-Roussillon wines as well.
White Wines
2023 La Toupie Solo Macabeu Côtes Catalanes – 100% Macabeu. The nose is a bit shy with a floral, citrus peel but served quite cold in a bucket of ice. The palate is more forthcoming with a medium-light body and refreshing acidity and salinic minerality. Medium length finish. Great for seafood. 90
2023 Mas Lavail Vielles Vignes Côtes Catalanes Carignan Blanc – From old vines in Maury. Bright fruity nose and palate with juicy acidity. White flowers. White fruit. Medium body. Medium+ acid. Carignan Blanc is a mutation of Carignan. No wood aging. The palate is particularly mouthwatering and perfect to pair with various dishes, seafood, etc. 90
2023 Lafage Nereda Blanc Côtes de Roussillon – 50/50 Rolle and Roussanne. 20% aged in barrel. Medium-Light body. Medium acid. White fruit. Some savory spice. 88
2023 Lafage Centenaire Blanc Côtes de Roussillon 60% Grenache Blanc and Gris with 40% Roussanne. 6 months in barrels. 100+ year old vines. Oak notes on the nose and on the spicy finish. Round medium-light body. Medium acid. A little heat..could use more time. 89+
2022 Lafage Côté Floral Côtes Catalanes – True to its name, the nose is super floral with melon and grapefruit. It carries through to the palate some but it’s relatively dry and crisp. Light-bodied. Medium-acid. This is a version of Muscat I can drink unlike many which are too sweet and fizzy. 90
2022 Domaine Odysee Vincent Carreras l’échappée belle Macabeu Cotes Catalanes – a bit too cold at first but the nose is quite floral with a bit of citrus and a touch of salinity. Overall, it’s very air-freshener-like. The palate is medium-light bodied but has a creaminess to it which perhaps comes from extra lees time. The acidity is low but it’s still a refreshing white peach fruity flavor but there’s a touch of bitterness at the end. 89
2023 Cazes Les Clos de Paulilles Collioure Blanc – Grenache Blanc & Grenache Gris, Nose is brighter than the palate with floral, white fruit and citrus notes while the palate is rounder and lower in acid given the nose. A bit oxidative which could be the variety. Medium body. Better colder if you want more of the fruit to shine on the palate and less of the slight sherry notes. 88
NV Le Soula Trigone Blanc Vin de France No°23 (18 Euros) – From the foothills of the Pyrenees near Saint Martin de Fenouillet on decomposed granite between 400-550m. Biodynamic. Native yeasts. It’s a blend of different vintages and all their white varieties which include Sauvignon Blanc, Rolle (Vermentino), Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Roussanne, Macabeu, and Malvoisie du Roussillon. Based on notes of their XX version, Sauvignon Blanc, Rolle and Grenache Blanc dominated the blend with wine from 2018-2020 but this could be different. Most is aged in oak tanks with some large barrels. 6,000 bottles made. Different wine with a bit of air, without food and at a warmer temperature. When it was cold out of the fridge and with food, it was more monolithic. White fruit on the nose with a medium body and medium acid. A touch of oxidative notes-in theory this has wine as old as 3 or 4 years in it and some Grenache blanc, which oxidiates easily. However, with more time and as it warmed up without food. There was more brightness and acidity on the palate and nose with floral notes on the nose, richer with peachy fruit on the palate and minerality. 90
2022 Domaine Le Roc des Anges Imalaya Côtes Catalanes Blanc IGP (35 Euros)- One of the top producers in the region, especially for whites. Single vineyard Carignan Gris planted in 1961 at 500m on granite. Organic and biodynamic. Native yeasts. Minimal sulfur. They consider Carignan Gris to be the greatest white variety in Roussillon. It takes a while for the nose to open up but it’s pretty and complex. There’s floral notes, white fruit, and it feels like there’s some mild oak or oxidative aging of some sort rather than just stainless steel. Or maybe it’s a combo of minerality and varietal characteristics, but there’s something savory and toasty on the nose with a hint of vanilla. The palate is more forthcoming at first but still on the subtle side. It’s not an in your face wine. There’s a long salty, minerally and acidic finish. Medium body. Ripe white fruit but also a bit of pineapple, or something more tropical. Hard to really figure it out since it’s not a variety I had had before. In fact, it’s quite rare and there only seems to be some in Côtes Catalanes and even then it’s not often a varietal wine. Exotic overall. Wine geeks should love it. 92+
2022 Gerard Bertrand Heresie Corbieres Blanc – Blend of Grenache, Marsanne and Roussanne. This is a fairly simple fruit driven wine with ripe peach and mild floral notes. Medium-low acid. Medium body. Easy to drink. Not much nose. Attractive label–perfect if you’ve been watching the House of the Dragon series. 88
Red Wine
2020 Lafage GN3 (Au Cube) – Grenache from Spain, Côtes Catalanes and the Rhone. Ripe fruity red fruits. Some licorice. A little heat. A little rustic. Fruity with a bit of spice. 89
2022 Lafage Nicolas Vieilles Vignes De Grenache IGP Côtes Catalanes – high altitude old vine Grenache. 30% aged in barrel. More refined compared to the GN3. Rounder. Darker. Smooth but still fruit driven. 90
2022 Lafage Cayrol Vieilles Vignes De Carignan IGP Côtes Catalanes – 30% in barrel. Mild wood and herbal notes on the palate. Most tannic so far but still approachable. Juicy acidity at the end but darker fruit than most Chilean Carignan. Still reminds me of Tuscan Sangiovese like some Carignan especially on the nose but one on the riper and darker side. 90
2020 Lafage Le Vignon Côtes de Roussillon – 85 Grenache 5 Mourvedre 10 Syrah; Vinification in large demi-muids and élevage 15 months in barrels. This is their most expensive wine at the boutique. 40 euros. Another level density, ripeness yet the smoothest of all the reds. Touch floral.There’s more oak but it’s well integrated. Dark and red fruits. Grapey. Long finish. 93
2022 Domaine de la Preceptorie Copain Comme Cochon Maury Sec – there’s no indication of the varieties or winemaking, but the first sniff and sip takes me to Syrah. There’s dark blueberry fruit and savory spice. Low acid. However, the texture and color remind me more of Grenache and more red fruits come through with a bit of air. Not sure what the percentage is. Perhaps it’s just ripe Grenache rather than Syrah, given the warmer climate. Perhaps there’s Carignan too, but I don’t really get any. Overall, a fruity wine with medium-low intensity and length on the nose and palate. You get a bit of the 15% alcohol on the palate but there’s no heat. Minimal or no new oak. Better the second day, at least texturely. Silky smooth. Some floral notes. At least an extra point. Found out it’s actually 100% Grenache. 88
2022 Domaine Odyssee Vincent Carreras Sanction Grenache Cotes Catalanes – fruity, floral nose. Easy drinking. Medium-light bodied. Soft tannins. Fruit forward on the palate. 89
2022 Clos del Rey Le Sabina Vermell Maury Sec – Mostly Old Vine Grenache with Carignan and Syrah. Ripe but bright red fruity nose, more Grenache like. The palate also has the light texture of Grenache but it’s more savory and meaty on the palate like Syrah. Medium+ acid perhaps from the Carignan. Some spice. A touch of bitterness but otherwise a nice easy to enjoy wine that doesn’t veer towards overripeness with this blend. Serve it at cellar temperature to avoid the slight bitterness. Alcohol held in check despite being 14.5%. 89
2021 Pompier Côtes Catalanes Maury Grenache – Ripe dark and red fruit. A touch of spice. Medium-low acid. Medium body. Mild tannins. Some heat at 15% alcohol, but easy to like with sweetish ripe fruit. 87
NV Domaine Piquemal Rouge Côtes Catalanes – Box wine, ripe and fruity but not heavy or over the top. Stays fresh. No hard edges, so easy to drink with many things as a patio pounder. 87
2023 Gardiés On s’en Fish! Côtes Catalanes IGP (14 Euros) From Espira de l’Agly. Organic. Minimal sulfites added. Cinsault with 15% Carignan. Short maceration and only 6 months aging. Unfiltered but clear light color. It took a while for the nose to open up probably because it was served too cold at first but eventually you get typical floral notes with purple fruit. The palate has more of a dark cherry flavor with a medium-low acid and light body and more floral notes. A touch of spice. It’s easy to drink on its own and or with lots of light dishes, even fish. 88
2023 Clos des Fees Les Sorcieres Côtes de Roussillon (14 Euros) – 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 20% Carignan. Entry level for one of the top producers in the region. Young Syrah vines with old vine Grenache & Carignan over limestone-clay soils. All stainless steel. Nice, medium intensity nose of ripe dark fruit and a touch of minerality and seashell salinity. The palate Is ripe and fruity. Licorice. Some violet. Easy drinking. No hard edges. Medium-low acid. A touch of tannins, but fine with food. 90
2023 Domaine Gauby Calcinaires Côtes de Roussillon (22E) – 50% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache, 10% Carignan. Native yeasts. Aged 80% in concrete & 20% in barrels. 5000 bottles made. One of the top producers in the region. Organic. Surprisingly light, transparent color; Nobody would ever guess it’s 50% Syrah. The nose is shy at first but there are red and dark fruit notes along with floral notes. I don’t get any barrel influence so it must have been used barrels. The palate is juicy and fruity with medium-light body and soft tannins. Medium+ acid. It’s a versatile, easy wine that everyone should enjoy. Given the blend, perhaps more complexities are awaiting but it was finished too quickly to find out. 90
2019 Gérard Bertrand Domaine de L’Estagnère IGP Cité de Carcassonne – No sulfites added. The label says it’s Merlot and Caladoc (a cross between Malbec and Grenache) but the site says there’s Cabernet too. Gerard Bertrand is a well-known label from the Languedoc region but he is also an ex-rugby player (which is particularly big in the south of France). Most of his plantings are biodynamic. Ripe plummy fruit on the nose. Very Merlot. The palate is round with medium acid and also fruit driven. However, it lacks some refinement and length on the palate. 88
2020 Abelanet Cuvee Roma Fitou Small production, only 4000 bottles made. Roughly equal parts Carignan, Syrah and Grenache. Vinification and 16 months aging in barrel. I find this quite Carignan in character. Red fruit and good acidity. There’s also some spice and vanilla and some darker, more Syrah like fruit. A bit of dried fruit notes, but balanced out by the acidity. The palate still needs some time to come together, but there are no hard edges even at such a young age. After an hour, it’s better integrated. The oak and fruit with a silky texture. 91
2020 Abelanet Vielles Vignes Fitou – in past vintages 60% Carignan with the rest made of equal parts Syrah and Grenache. 33% new oak. Not as refined as the Roma. Darker fruit but still good acidity. Some savory notes on the backend. It’s rounder but lacks the same structure. Less oak influence. However, with 30 minutes, there’s a nice floral note that the Roma doesn’t have. More integrated than before. Fruity and floral wine in the end. It’s starting to grow on me. 90
Rosé Wines
2023 Cazes Les Clos de Paulilles Collioure Rosé – Nose dominated by a savory garrigue and then red berry fruit. Light body with decent acidity and a touch of minerality. Fruity, but given the region, I was expecting riper. But I like this crisp, lighter rosé. Blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. 90
NV Domaine Piquemal Rosé Côtes Catalanes– Box wine – it has more body and ripeness than a Provence Rosé. Less complex and less acidic, but an easy drinking fruity rosé that should be a crowd pleaser without going over the top into white Zin territory. Far from it actually. 87
NV Famille Fabre Grande Courtade L’Instant Rose IGP Pays d’Oc (8E) Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot with 10-20% Pinot Noir. Bio. Night harvest. Saignee method. I was hoping for more influence from the Pinot but I couldn’t get much except perhaps a bit on the nose with a floral note, but the nose was closed overall. The palate shows riper, darker fruit than Grenache based rosé with medium-low acid but you get an acid kick at the end with mild savory notes. I couldn’t find a vintage on the bottle, but perhaps this was a bit past its prime since most rosés aren’t ageworthy. 86
2023 L’Odalet Cuvée Reservée Languedoc Rosé (5 Euros) – Feels like a Grenache-blend based rosé with red fruit and peachy notes, some garrigue and medium acid. Perhaps a Provence rosé would be a bit more tangy and less ripe but otherwise not too far off. Medium intensity on the nose and palate. Not much complexity but a proper rosé. 88
Sparkling Wines
NV Robert Fourn Crémant de Limoux Brut – Chardonnay 60%, Chenin Blanc 30%, Pinot noir 10%. Mauzac, the traditional variety in this region, is also allowed but wines dominated by Mauzac are labeled Blanquette de Limoux. There are also some Methode Ancestrale Blanquette de Limoux, but this is Traditional Method sparkling without any Mauzac. The nose is not far off from good NV Champagne with puff pastry and a touch of minerality. The palate doesn’t have the same level of intensity, bubbles or acidity. The amount of sweetness is correct for Brut. There’s a touch of bitterness. 87
Sweet Wines
I didn’t rate these, since I have limited experience with sweet wines from the region.
2023 Terres des Tempiers Banyuls Impertinence Rosé – 100% Grenache. Actually has an earthy, herby nose but the palate is like a cherry and strawberry liquor. Sweet. Round. Low acid. A bit of heat but not too much. They recommended you drink it mixed with sparkling. It softens the alcohol and sweetness.
2018 Spiaggia Rivesaltes Ambré – 17.5% alcohol. sort of like a lighter Tawny Port but made from white grapes. Almond, cream soda, raisiny, a bit of heat but kept in check. A bit of citrusy acidity in the back end to keep it fresh.
Cuvee Augustin Hanicotte Banyuls Hors d’Age – Sweet red wine. Quite smooth. You don’t feel the alcohol. Like a red wine in texture and alcohol but it’s sweet and raisiny but not over the top. Some spice. no heat like the Rivesaltes. Hors d’âge means it’s aged for an extended period of time like 5-20 years with minimum 5 years in barrel. I’ve seen some that use the Solera method. But since there’s no vintage, I assume it’s a blend. All the Banyuls, Rivesaltes and Maury are Vin Doux Naturel, which means they stop the fermentation with mutage (adding some alcohol) to keep the natural sweetness, so it’s lightly fortified. Port is made similarly but it’s usually more fortified with higher alcohol.
2011 Camille Decossy Banyuls Grand Cru – Sweet red wine. Also must age at least 5 years in barrel to be Grand Cru..Similar flavor fruit profile as the Hor d’Age but more acid and just a lot smoother, elegant. Both Banyuls have an old red wine smell of dried fruit and a bit of mushroom and leather mixed with wood.
2022 Lafage Grenat Maury – I find this fresher than all the Banyuls sweet reds I tried. On the nose and the palate there’s less dried fruit notes and there’s more acidity. Of course, it’s ripe, sweet fruit, but it’s a bit lighter and fresher. The Banyuls were open already (and they can last at least 6 months in a fridge) while this Maury was just opened and is a lot younger with only 1.5 years of age, so that could be the difference. This is a Grenat, which means it’s mostly Grenache Noir while there’s also Tuilé, which is more like a Tawny Port with at least months of oxidative aging. The Grenat is more like a Ruby Port. Plus there’s also Maury Ambré (like a Tawny but with white grapes) and Blanc.
