FRANCE
Signal d`Agly
The Côtes du Roussillon is situated in the Southern France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region, not far from the Spanish border with Cataluña.
From the hills of Corbières to the Pyrenees Mountains, Roussillon is the sunniest region in France. Very few regions present such variety of landscapes. With the Mediterranean coast to the east and the Pyrenees in the South here we find a wide variety of soils schist, granite, gneiss, clay, chalk, gravel and shingle. Only Alsace offers such a diverse variety soils. The climate is of Mediterranean type with an average yearly temperature of 15º Centigrade and the northwest wind that blows regularly to keep the vines healthy. Red varieties strive extremely well.
The Côtes du Roussillon AC is the basic appellation for the area and produces red, white, and Rosé wines. This appellation comprises about 6 500ha of planted vines over 125 parishes. In the particularly hilly north of the appellation where schists, granite and chalk predominate the red wine was given a higher rating as Côtes du Roussillon Village. Whites and Rosés from this same area bear the Cotes du Roussillon appellation despite being in the higher rated area. Cotes du Roussillon Village is situated in the villages around the Agly River.
The main red varieties are Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir, Syrah and Cinsault. The whites are made of Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Gris, Macabeu, Rolle and Malvoisie.
The region is also well known for its naturally sweet wines with the Muscat de Rivesaltes, Maury and Banyuls.
Le Signal d'Agly is the result of the passion of Jean Vincent Ridon the internationally renowned winemaker. Le Signal d'Agly is a "human wine", with a strong identity, handmade, footmade, heartmade. Far from being a standard product, Le Signal d'Agly illustrates the purity and the expression of an outstanding historical terroir. The vineyards are scattered around the mountains of Saint Paul de Fenouillet, just a few kilometers away from Maury. The soil is mainly made of black schist that is very similar to licorella found in the Priorat. The vineyards often are very old and were well preserved over the years. The yields are relatively low but the fruits produce exceptional wines that offer balance and concentration. The soil or terroir brings the unique minerality that results in richly fruity wines that have a strong mineral backbone, essential in order to allow the wines to age beautifully.
The total Production is 10 000 bottles a year, less than 1000 cases, making Le Signal d'Agly a true micro-winery.