Wines made from Roussanne grapes of Banyuls
Discover the best wines made with Roussanne as a single variety or as a blend of Banyuls.
Roussane is a white grape variety, planted on an area of more than 700 ha. Originally from Montélimar, it is also found in Savoie, Languedoc and Roussillon, and grows very well in calcareous, poor, stony soil. It prefers to be pruned short. Roussane is also called fromenteau, barbin or bergeron. The young leaves are bubbled with fine down. When adult, they become thicker. It flowers in June and matures in mid-September. The grapes are cylindrical in shape, the berries are small and turn red when ripe, and the wine produced from pure Roussane is of extraordinary quality. It has a delicate aroma reminiscent of coffee, honeysuckle, iris and peony. The taste of this wine improves with age. It is part of the blend of the appellations Vin-de-Savoie, Côtes-du-Vallée du Rhône or Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Banyuls wines come from the South-eastern Part of Roussillon, in the south of France, in the lower Pyrenees, a few kilometres from the Spanish border. These naturally Sweet wines are consumed both as an aperitif and as a dessert. They come in a wide range of hues, from GoldenGreen (Banyuls Blanc) to Amber (Banyuls Ambré) to the intense garnet of the standard Banyuls Rouge. Unusually among the natural sweet wines of France, all Banyuls wines are made primarily from Grenache grapes of various colors.