BANYULS

Appellation area

The AOC Banyuls covers 4 villages : Collioure, Port-Vendres, Banyuls et Cerbère.

Geology

The appellation is constituted of terraces or slopes where it is sometimes necessary to use mule or cable car to transport the harvest.

Grapes

Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Muscat à petits grains, Muscat d’Alexandrie, Macabeu, Tourbat or Malvoisie du Roussillon

Vinification

Vinified by direct pressing or maceration, the Banyuls are matured in bottles, tuns, barrels, big barrels or glass demi-john. Wines evolve during time with the aim of giving several colours and diverses flavours, for type of sweet, medium sweet or dry. There are different products • Banyuls Blanc, with a brilliant yellow colour has floral notes with citrus and white fruits. Traditionally, best cuvées are matured and give golden Banyuls called Banyuls Ambrés.

• Banyuls «traditionnels», the most common, symbol of the great tradition. They are tile-red matured in oxidative environment during long years.
• Banyuls «Rimage», elaborated only on great vintages: wine with long maceration, wines with an extraction with an addition of alcohol. To preserve the fruit, its freshness and its power, wines are bottled rapidly (6 to 12 months following the harvest).
• Banyuls «Rimage» Mise Tardive, elaborated on the same principle as the others, wines are matured from one to three years in tuns or in full barrels with the aim of rounding of tannins and flavours.

Key figures

898 ha

Yields

• The yield is limited at 30 hl/ha
• Average yield: 20.54 hl/ha

Average production

18 449 hl

Source CIVR

Banyuls Grand Cru

Appellation area

The area merges with the appellation of Banyuls.

Grapes

The conditions of production are stricter, wines have a proportion more important of Grenache (75%) and the ageing is longer (30 months minimum in barrels).

Vignification

These wines are issued from best cuvées, with an important concentration due to a long maceration with an addition of alcohol. A barrel or a tun ageing will ripe nits complexity and structure.

Key figures

167 ha

Yields

The yield is limited at 30 hl/ha

Average yield: 20.86 hl/ha

Average production

3495 hl

Source CIVR