Roussillon ‘Coup de Coeur’ dozen unveiled

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 02 May, 2024

Roussillon may be a tenth the size of its sprawling Languedoc neighbour, but this diverse corner of France has increasingly been pushing its own credentials as a vibrant and innovative source of wines.

The latest move has seen the launch of the Roussillon ‘Coup de Coeur’ off the back of the region’s annual Top 100 taste-off in London, with UK wine writers tasked with whittling the selection down to 12 outstanding wines.

Taking place on 27 March at 67 Pall Mall, the judges, including David Williams, Heather Dougherty, Lisse Garnett, Matt Walls, Mike Turner, Natalie Earl, Tom Surgery and Andrew Catchpole, blind tasted through 100 wines to find those 18+ point stars.

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The flights took in myriad styles and appellations that make up the Roussillon region, ranging from poised, minerally whites and complex, flavoursome reds to the tantalising attractions of the fabulous (if undersung) Vins Doux Naturels.

On the day, quality was high, with 56% of the 100 wines presented gaining 16-point scores or more (out of 20). Judges then re-grouped and re-tasted the highest scoring wines to decide the Coup de Coeur dozen, with a further 13 wines also being highly commended.

As the name suggests, these were wines that appealed to the ‘heart’ as much as the head, resulting in a fantastic line up that well represented the spread of styles across the region.

“We hope UK wine lovers enjoy discovering this expertly curated list of vibrant Roussillon wines, brimming with character and a sense of place,” said Wines of Roussillon export director Eric Aracil.

“As a whole, these 12 Coup de Coeur provide a snapshot of what Roussillon is capable of and shows why our wine region is France’s best kept secret.”

The winners of Roussillon Coup de Coeur 2024 are:

Whites

Vieilles Vignes Blanc 2021, Domaine des Soulanes, IGP Côtes Catalanes (Theatre of Wine)

Le Soula Blanc 2018, Le Soula, IGP Côtes Catalanes (Christopher Keiller Fine Wine Services)

'Clos des Vignes' Blanc 2022, Domaine Gardiés, AOP Côtes du Roussillon (Strictly Wine)

Tremadoc Blanc 2022, Domaine Madeloc, AOP Collioure (Strictly Wine)

Reds

Le Soula Rouge 2015, Le Soula, IGP Côtes Catalanes (Tanners Wines)

Motus 2019, Domaine Treloar, AOP Côtes du Roussillon (Leon Stolarski Wines)

Serral Rouge 2020, Domaine Madeloc, AOP Collioure (Strictly Wine)

Côtes du Roussillon Villages Organic 2021, Terres Fidèles, AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Cheers Wine Merchants)