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AOC/AOP Collioure

Appellation area

En 1971 pour les rouges et en 1991 pour les rosés, l’INAO récompensa leurs efforts en leur accordant l’Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. L’aire d’appellation se confond avec celle de Banyuls et de Banyuls Grand Cru, sur les communes Collioure, Port-Vendres, Banyuls et Cerbère, mais seulement environ 529 ha sont consacrés à l’élaboration des vins rouges et rosés et blancs. En 2003, l’INAO a reconnu l’AOC Collioure blanc, rétroactive sur le millésime 2002.

Geology

Colluvial soil schistoses

Climate

Typiquement méditerranéen. Moyenne annuelle des températures : 14 °C.

Grapes

• Red and rosé wines
  Main grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre Complementary grapes: Carignan noir, Cinsault, Grenache gris
• White wine
  Grenaches blanc et gris

Cépages complémentaires: Macabeu, Malvoisie, Marsanne, Roussanne, Vermentino
Five complementary grapes are allowed:
The Tourbat (Malvoisie du Roussillon), with a good acidity, gives nuances of ripe apple (young wine) and moves toward cooked fruits and honey with the ageing.
The Macabeu gives to wines aromas of flower and fruits moving on notes of honey.
The Marsanne, with low yields, gives smoothness to wines.
The Roussanne, full-bodied and complex, develops its aromatic qualities during the maturing in barrels.
The Vermentino gives freshness, flavours, fleshy and balance.

Vinification

Elaborated by bleeding or direct pressing, rosé wines are fermented at low temperatures. They are delicious in the year following the harvest. Concentrated, often matured in barrels, red Collioure can not be sold before the 1st of July following the harvest. It can be kept during several years; some of them will express its qualities after 7 to 15 years in bottles.

Key figures

• 529 ha

Average yield

• The yield is limited at 40 hl/ha.
  Average yield: 32.78 hl/ha

Average production

• 17 637 hl