The wine cooperatives play an important role in the Languedoc-Roussillon. 25,000 growers belong to a cooperative and La Fédération Régionale de la Coopération du Langudoc Roussillon works hard to help, advice and enthuse its members. One of their initiatives is a yearly wine competition open to the various cooperatives. The wines that are best placed in this competition are then entered in a second competition that is called “coup de Coeur des Femmes Journalistes” (Women Journalists Favourites). This year it took place on April 1 in the small village of Baixas, not far from Perpignan.
The female half of BKWine was of course part of the jury, together with journalists from e.g. the daily papers Libération and Midi-Libre Perpignan, and wine magazines such as Decanter, Terre des Vins, La Vigne, Wine International, Réussir Vigne and the radio station Chérie FM. The Coup de Coeur competition is less hardship (for the judges) than some other competitions – all wines have already been given gold medals in another competition, so a good quality is assured. But this also means that it’s not an easy task to select a winner (this year was a tie for two VDNs).
But after some hard work and deliberations a group of winners was selected that we present below. These wines will also be the ones used in promotions for the coming year.
Winners of Coup de coeur
White: Beauvignac Viognier, IGP Pays d’Oc blanc 2009, Cave de Pomerols, Pomerols (Hérault). A summer wine, flowry and aromatic with a nice citrus finish.
Red: Vallée des Arômes Merlot, IGP Haute Vallée de l’Orb rouge 2009, Cave les Coteaux de Capimont, Herepian (Hérault). Harmonious and complex. Aromas of ripe wild berries. Will go excellently with a luncheon salad or perhaps a grilled duck’s breast.
Rosé: Pop Frutti Syrah/Grenache, VDP des Côtes des Catalanes rosé 2009, Cave Les Vignerons des Terres Romanes, Vinca (Pyrénées Orientales). The name is very youthful but the wine is full-grown with nice flavours of strawberries and some body. Excellent as aperitif or to a barbecue.
Vin Doux Naturel: Dom Brial, AOC Muscat de Rivesaltes 2009, Cave Les Vignobles Dom Brial, Baixas (Pyrénées Orientales). Distinct flavours from the muscat grape and with good concentration. Drink it well chilled as aperitif or with tapas. And: Le Grenat de Terrassous, AOC Rivesaltes grenat 2007, Les Vignobles de Constance et du Terrassous Terrats (Pyrénées Orientales). Soft and sweet aromas of ripe fruits and dried figs. Will go well with home-made ice-cream with fresh berries.
More info (and pictures): https://www.vignerons.com/actualites/coupdecoeur2010.htm
