Walls: The secret to Roussillon’s stunning whites

Roussillon and the southern Rhône have many things in common. They share the same four main red grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, and both regions endure hot, dry summers.

But while the white wines surrounding Avignon tend towards generosity and richness, those around Perpignan have a distinct crispness and clarity. The key, it transpires, is a grape with a familiar name but a distinctive profile: Grenache Gris.

Grenache is like Pinot in many respects: it comes in three colours, it has thin skins, and it can reflect the minutiae of where it’s grown with precision. And just as there’s a clear difference between Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, so there is with Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 24 white Roussillon recommendations from Matt Walls

Hoping for Gris

In the Rhône, Grenache Blanc is the most widely planted white grape, with 2,060ha of vineyards. Pink-skinned Grenache Gris however is one of the rarest, with just 34ha under vine.

For some unfathomable reason, outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it’s not allowed to be used for white wines in any Rhône appellations – it’s only permitted as a blending grape for reds and rosés.

Imagine if Alsace only permitted Pinot Gris in its red wines. Clearly this would be an error. But the appellation rules in France aren’t always entirely intelligible.

Roussillon, by contrast, embraces Grenache Gris for its whites: Grenache Blanc represents 1,283ha, Grenache Gris 1,056ha – and these plantings are growing. It’s the only region in the world where, if you’re told a white wine is made of Grenache, you have to ask – which Grenache?

And you hope it’s Gris.

Jonathan Hesford of Domaine Treolar is a fan. ‘I think Grenache Gris is a super grape variety,’ he says. ‘All the best white wines of the Roussillon have at least 50% Grenache Gris.’

By comparison, he believes Grenache Blanc can oxidise relatively easily, and is more prone to flabbiness.

Some white Roussillon, such as Domaine de la Meunerie’s Argenta Brilo, are made of pure Grenache Gris. It’s a good example of what this grape delivers in this part of the world: pale in colour, intense and focused wines with crisp acidity – and great value.

Domaine Danjou-Banessy makes a white from equal parts Grenache Blanc, Gris and Noir called Clos des Escounils. Co-owner Sébastien Danjou-Banessy says that Grenache Gris is more structured than Grenache Blanc, with ‘more grain, more tannin’.

Winemakers have multiple options when it comes to vinification. They can ferment or age in oak to build richness and complexity, or choose stainless steel to produce a leaner, straighter style. It’s a wine that can call to mind fruits, herbs and minerals. It ranges from light in body to bold and firm – but rarely fat.

A varied grape palette

Grenache Gris isn’t the only grape of interest among Roussillon’s contemporary dry whites. Similarly to Pinot and Grenache, Carignan also comes in Noir, Gris and Blanc – and the white and pink versions can make for noteworthy wines thanks to their strong acidic backbones.

Once considered inferior grapes, they have been largely uprooted – but the Danjou-Banessy brothers are planting them once more.

Vermentino is the fastest growing white variety, which is a positive trend – it can make zesty wines with mouthwatering sapidity. And Mas Llossanes has had success with Chasan, a crossing between Chardonnay and Listan (aka Palomino). Perhaps others will follow suit.

Grenache Gris might be little planted elsewhere, but the word is spreading. ‘I love the versatility of it,’ says Ben Gertie of Gertie Wines, who recently planted some in Clare Valley in Australia.

Surprised, I asked him where he heard about it. ‘A mate was raving about it,’ he says, ‘he’d just got back from a trip to France.’

Whereabouts, I asked. ‘The Roussillon,’ he replied.

Matt Walls: 24 Roussillon whites to seek out

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