Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2011
Hecht & Bannier
Terroir: The appellation of Cotes du Roussillon is located in the heart of Frances sunny south with an abundance of warm Mediterranean sunshine and cooling winds from the sea. Hecht et Bannier source this selection from the villages of Tautavel, Estagel, Caramany, Espira de l’Agly and Lesquerde.
Vinification: 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.
Additional Information
“Following the extreme vintage 2010 with the lowest ever yields in the region, winegrowers were expecting a return to the usual par for the following season. Although 2011 is considered as a very good year in Roussillon, our usual supply area in the Agly Valley and in Fenouillèdes suffered a lot. Our selection was particularly demanding to create a blend which will perfectly match with our wishes for the Villages. Winter and spring were soft but then summer came, cooler than usual and rather humid. However, 2011 vintage is printed by hails which have played havoc in the northern Catalonia vineyards. Homeric storms during spring destroyed a large part of the precious Syrah from Lesquerde and then again by hails episodes in September before the harvests.
The late varietals, Grenache and Carignan from Maury reached a beautiful ripeness and preserved their Catalonian character but without the density level of vintages 2009 or 2010. This year we offer a larger voicing of Syrah coming from Belesta and Caramany vineyards, where they barely not suffered and bring to the blend a young and vivid crunch.” -Gregory Hecht
Technical Details
- Appellation: Cotes du Roussillon Villages
- Winemaker: Gregory Hecht & Francois Bannier
- Sustainability: Sustainable Practices
- Soil: Limestone, Granite Gravel
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Varietals: 55% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 5% Carignan
Recent Press
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Score: 91 Points
Wine Spectator Author: Kim Marcus
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2015"A rich and extracted style, with luscious dark fruit, blackberry and tar flavors that are well-structured. Features hints of licorice snap midpalate, leading to a long finish of dark chocolate and cream. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvdre and Carignan. Drink now through 2020." -
Score: 90 Points
The Wine Advocate Author: David Schildknecht
Date: Monday, April 21, 2014"Because their source (since 2008) of Syrah for this bottling was shredded by hail in this vintage, Hecht & Bannier’s 2011 Cotes du Roussillon Villages is informed by Syrah from the same high elevation, gneiss and granite sites in Belesta and Caramany where they regularly buy Carignan, these aforementioned grapes being blended with roughly half Grenache and Lledoner Pelut from the chalk and schist sites in Maury, Vingrau and Tautavel as well as a smidgeon of Mourvedre. As such – and considering that ten growers are represented – this constitutes one of the two most complicated of Hecht & Bannier’s blends, and its success speaks to the care with which these two strategize their sourcing. Very ripe, yet juicy and bright black raspberry is tinged with bitter-edged, resinous herbs and incisive black pepper. The persistent finish here is not quite as sweetly ripe or savory as has been the case with some renditions of this bottling, but time may well add complexity. Its authors compare this 2011 with their 2008, a remarkable wine by any standards (and an extraordinary value) that I lauded in issue 195. If they’re right, then this 2011 has a long way to travel yet in bottle. But at the very least it will remain a delight and offer excellent value through 2016."
