One of Roussillon's leading wine producers, Maison Cazes, has acquired its first vineyard in Collioure. The tiny, one-hectare plot is planted with Genache Noir and Grenache Gris and is situated beneath the Dugommier fort, which overlooks this historic coastal town.
Cazes has had a very close association with the Collioure appellation since 2009, when it was the driving force behind the setting up of a heritage association, ‘Nôtre Dame des Anges, Terroir et Patrimoine’, named after Collioure's most important landmark (see photo). This association raises funds for the restoration of 'casots' (tiny winegrowers' shelters, of which there are some 1,200 dotted around the Collioure appellation) and the 6,000km of stone walls or feixes, which cover the terraced vineyards.
Funds for this restoration programme come from the sale of a limited-edition cuvée, Nôtre Dame des Anges, made according to Maison Cazes’s specifications by association members (The Dominicains Cooperative and individual producers). Cazes also ages the wine in its own cellars and looks after the sales and marketing of the 13,500 bottles produced annually.
The grapes from Cazes's new Collioure vineyard will be vinified by the Dominicains Cooperative before going into the 2012 vintage of Nôtre Dame des Anges. The 2009 vintage can currently be bought from Bordeaux Index (www.bordeauxindex.com) at £13.75 per bottle/£165 per case, plus VAT and delivery.
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