Winemaker Notes
The soils on this rugged mountain ridge are a mix of sand and clay on top of black schist. Schist(es) terroir for French vineyards can be found in pockets of Languedoc (notable Faugères); parts of Anjou; and up in the northern Rhône in part of Côte-Rôtie and across the river in Seyssuel. And there's a big swath of it over the border in Spain's Priorat. Schist tends to emphasize fruit rather than tannin, and red wine from these terroirs typically show a fruit purity in a decidedly darker profile than limestone’s red notes (deep with a verticality too, rather than broadly horizontal on the palate, along with a lift of minerality). You'll get this in Caladroy's lithe yet intense black and blue fruit profile.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
An appellation solely for dry red wines from Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon-Villages is a step up in quality compared to, simply, Côtes du Roussillon. The area is in the northern third of Roussillon, bordered on its southern end by the Têt River, which runs precisely from west to east. Five villages can append their own name to the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages appellation name: Caramany, Latour de France, Lesquerde, Tautavel and the last, south of the Têt River, Les Aspres.
Côtes du Roussillon-Villages red wines are blends made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and small amounts of Carignan, Cinsault and the lesser known, Lledoner Pelut (a relative of Grenache).