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Cotes Catalanes (Villes Vignes), Clos du Rouge Gorge Cyril Fhal 2020
Clos du Rouge Gorge Cyril Fhal
Clos du Rouge Gorge was founded in 2002 by Cyril Fhal, who left the Loire Valley to settle in Latour de France, a remote village in the Agly Valley of northern Roussillon. Drawn by the region’s ancient bush-trained vines and complex mosaic of schist, gneiss and granite, Fhal assembled a small estate of old parcels on steep terraces between 250 and 350 metres altitude. From the outset he committed to organic and biodynamic principles, cultivating extremely low yielding vines and preserving native plant life to maintain soil vitality. Work is entirely manual, with meticulous pruning, minimal inputs and careful harvest selection. In the cellar Fhal is known for a restrained, Burgundian approach: indigenous ferments, whole clusters when appropriate, neutral vessels, long élevage and minimal sulphur, aiming to express delicacy and tension rather than the power often associated with Roussillon. His wines have since become reference points for the region’s new wave of terroir transparent winemaking.
Côtes Catalanes Rouge 2019 is sourced from old vine Grenache and Carignan planted on schist terraces around Latour de France. The 2019 growing season began with a cool spring and low fruit set, followed by a hot, dry summer that concentrated berries and naturally reduced yields, producing small clusters with thick skins and intense aromatics. Grapes were harvested by hand in several passes to ensure balance, then fermented spontaneously, predominantly as whole clusters, with gentle infusion style extraction to highlight freshness rather than weight. The wine was aged for around twelve months in old Burgundian barrels and cement, allowing slow evolution without imparting oak character. The resulting style is lifted and mineral, with red cherry, garrigue herbs, smoke, subtle earthiness and the distinctive graphite edge of Roussillon schist, carried by fine tannins and long, vibrant acidity.
Origin Latour de France, Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France
Grapes Grenache, Carignan
Vintage 2020
Alcohol 13%
Style Mineral, lifted, herbal, refined
Bottle size 75cl
Winemaking Organic and biodynamic farming, hand harvested, partial whole cluster, natural fermentation, gentle infusion maceration, aged in old barrels and cement, minimal sulphur, unfined, unfiltered
Notes Biodynamic influence, low intervention, schist driven, purity focused