IGP Côtes Catalanes
This PGI appellation (or IGP in French for indication géographique protégée) covers red, white, and rosé wines grown across 4,500-hectares in the Roussillon and the Pyrénées-Orientales departments. The area is also home to the vineyards of the Maury and Rivesaltes AOCs and is adjacent to the Côte Vermeille IGP area, where you also find the Banyuls and Collioure AOCs. The Côtes Catalanes wine region faces the Mediterranean Sea and features mountainous terrain, such as the Corbières Massif mountain range, and three rivers – the Agly, the Têt and the Tech. A large number of grape varieties are authorised, including regional classics like Syrah, Grenache Noir, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, along with Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Muscat, and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. The wines develop aromas of red fruit, black fruit or white-fleshed fruit and can be delicate or more concentrated depending on the area of production. Some noteworthy estates are Gauby, Olivier Pithon, Clos des Fées, Roc des Anges and Le Soula.