Banyuls: a unique wine in a unique Mediterranean climate

Diary #4 of Elise Gaillard, winemaker at Domaine Madeloc : In Collioure , we can say there's a unique climate, a Mediterranean seaside climate, made even more exceptional by the terraced topography. People often talk about saline notes in Collioure wines, but is that due to the sea breeze? What exactly is a touch of salinity? Is it a desirable quality for the wine? Elise Gaillard tells us about the secrets of Banyuls and the influence of the sea.

How does the Mediterranean climate influence the wines of Roussillon?

The Mediterranean climate is quite simple: a dry climate for 11 months out of 12, and torrential rains in November. And of course, wind (the Tramontane) almost all year round.

In Banyuls , there are a few additional subtleties. The heat is always moderated by the wind, and there is very little temperature variation between day and night due to the immediate proximity of the sea. To this must be added a particular phenomenon: when the prevailing wind – the Tramontane – doesn't blow, the Marin takes over. The Marin is a wind coming from the sea (as its name suggests) and it is laden with moisture. When it blows, it can herald rain, but more generally, it creates areas of mist that the first hills directly on the sea will trap for several hours in the morning, and sometimes all day long.

The sea breezes bring freshness to the white Banyuls wines of Domaine de Madeloc

At Domaine Madeloc , we chose (since we had the option!) to plant these hillsides with white grape varieties (Grenache Gris, Roussanne, and Vermentino). These varieties are very sensitive to heat, which "burns" the acidity of the berries. By plumping the berries with a little moisture from the sea, we thought we could protect the grapes and retain a bit more freshness and acidity. This experiment proved quite successful, as we observed a clear difference in freshness between the vines by the sea and those at higher altitudes, the latter being better suited to white Banyuls (this isn't necessarily applicable to the reds).

However, there is a downside to these sea sprays: they can be catastrophic in areas too close to the sea. The salt-laden spray can burn the vines, leaving them stunted. Therefore, on one of our plots, we allowed reed screens to grow to protect the first vines affected by the salt.

Sun, sea breeze and schist soil: three essential elements for a Banyuls wine.

Tasters agree on the presence of iodine, even saline, notes in Collioure wines, and it's easy to assume that the sea breeze is the source. Personally, I disagree. These iodine notes are found throughout our terroir, and I believe it's the influence of the schist soil, combined with our sunny climate, that brings them to the table. Nevertheless, the sea breeze is essential to my work with white Collioure wines.

Elise Gaillard (winemaker at Domaine Madeloc)