Winemaker Notes
The Cotes du Roussillon is a traditional blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan and Syrah vinified and aged in a combination of epoxy lined concrete tank, large neutral oak casks and about 20% in new oak barrels producing a wine of powerful, ripe, juicy fruit with an elegant, refined finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A rich and extracted style, with luscious dark fruit, blackberry and tar flavors that are well-structured. Features hints of licorice snap mid palate, leading to a long finish of dark chocolate and cream. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan. Drink now through 2020.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Cotes du Roussillon Villages gives up classic red and black fruits, dusty pebble-like minerality, licorice and earth aromas and flavors as well as a medium to full-bodied, lively, yet nicely textured profile on the palate. Mid-weight through the middle, with savory tannin, it will evolve nicely through 2019.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
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).