Before settling down amid the vines, walls and soil of the Clos des Fées, Hervé Bizeul's peregrinations had been many, flitting around the wine business and the world in general. As a sommelier, as a journalist… but most of all, as a son of this hard ground, with a real pride in Roussillon. It was one day in the late 1990s, looking out onto this desert of scrubland, with its dry stone walls and vines planted in pick-hacked holes amid the green oaks with their twisted branches, that he decided to take his passion for wine to its logical extreme by becoming a wine grower himself. Thanks to his hard work in the vines – but also through his formidable enthusiasm for selling and promoting his wine with a talent for forging links that is somewhat uncommon among growers, who enjoy the solitary company of their vines and can be uneasy with commercial relationships – Bizeul would be quick to find success. And this success would enable him to live comfortably and develop his domain by expanding it through the purchase of parcels of land (both already planted and awaiting plantation), hiring workers, buying increasingly advanced equipment and continuing to tour the wine shows of France and the world, proudly flying the flag of his own wines as well as all the others in his region. But if you think Hervé Bizeul has retired his pen, then think again: today, he is among the most prolific contributors to be found in the blogosphere.

A prominent figure in the wine world and Roussillon, known for his ambition to produce characterful fine wines rivalling some of the finest grand crus, Hervé Bizeul proposes this flavoursome IGP Côtes Catalanes made from Pinot Noir. It comes from vines planted on a steep and arid hillside in Cabrils, which is located within the village of Tautavel. The vines here dig their roots in red and black clay soils. The north-facing plot and early harvests help retain the grape’s beautiful acidity, essential for the wine’s balance. The cold pre-fermentation maceration is followed by alcoholic fermentation initiated by indigenous yeasts. Ageing for eight to ten months in oak barrels then folllows. Tasting this wines is like biting into a basket of berries, where notes of blackberry and cherry mingle with aromas of scrubland and a light woody touch. The dense and sensual palate finishes on a long fragrant note. This is a Pinot Noir that reveals the generosity of the Roussillon region.