AOC Banyuls wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

A.O.C./A.O.P.

The Banyuls appellation covers four communes in the Roussillon region: Banyuls-sur-Mer, Collioure, Port-Vendres and Cerbère, at the southern tip of the French Mediterranean coast near the Spanish border. The vineyard is terraced and held by kilometres of dry-stone walls, planted on poor, well-drained schist soils. The Mediterranean climate, with strong sunshine and the tramontane wind, supports grape ripening. Grenache noir is the dominant variety, alongside grenache gris, grenache blanc, macabeu, tourbat (locally called malvoisie du Roussillon) and the muscat à petits grains and muscat d'Alexandrie varieties; carignan, cinsaut and syrah complete the blend in smaller proportions. The same territory is also home to the Collioure appellation, reserved for dry wines, while Banyuls is dedicated exclusively to vins doux naturels, made by adding spirit to the must during fermentation (mutage).

Grape varieties: VDN : grenache noir, grenache gris, grenache blanc, tourbat, muscat d'Alexandrie, muscat à petits grains, carignan, cinsault, syrah

The wines of this appellation

Banyuls produces red, white (called amber) and rosé vins doux naturels. Red wines come in two styles: rimage, aged in a reductive environment and bottled young, with a ruby colour and fresh red and black fruit aromas; and traditionnel, aged for several years in an oxidative environment, developing mahogany to tawny hues along with notes of dried fruit, tobacco, spice and sometimes the characteristic rancio character. Amber wines undergo a similar oxidative ageing, showing aromas of candied fruit, coffee and cocoa. The hors d'âge designation applies to wines given extended ageing, with particularly long cellaring potential. Rich in alcohol and sugar due to the mutage process, these vins doux naturels are classic partners for chocolate desserts and blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort; the fresher rimage style also pairs well with red-fruit desserts.