Banyuls-sur-Mer producer bringing small vignerons, steep terraces, Collioure and Banyuls wines, and Banyuls vinegars together.
The producer
Cave De l'Abbé Rous is based in Banyuls-sur-Mer and brings together 750 small vignerons farming 1,150 hectares of vineyards. The range covers AOC Collioure, AOC Banyuls and AOC Banyuls Grand Cru wines, plus Banyuls vinegars. The vineyards have century-old canals called les agulles for erosion control, and they are always worked by hand. Viticulture follows lutte raisonnée, and cellarmaster Jauffrey Canier leads the cellar.
Known for
Hand-worked Banyuls terraces
Notable facts
Cave De l'Abbé Rous brings together 750 small vignerons farming 1,150 hectares of vineyards.
Canals called les agulles that are a century old combat erosion, while the vineyards are always worked by hand.
Banyuls is made from about 50% Grenache noir, about 40% Grenache gris and about 10% Carignane.
Cellarmaster Jauffrey Canier leads the cellar under a lutte raisonnée viticulture regime.
The story
Mas Ventous Opens In 2011
In 2011, Mas Ventous opened as a modern facility for Cave De l'Abbé Rous. The vineyards remained steep, terraced and worked by hand, with canals called les agulles that are a century old and used for erosion control. Most harvesting was done by hand with baskets worn like backpacks, or the loads were occasionally placed on mules. The facility opened while the old terrace farming remained in place, with hand work still carrying through the vineyards.
From the atlas
Cave De l'Abbé Rous
A Banyuls-sur-Mer producer bringing small vignerons together across steep, terraced vineyards.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Place
Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées-Orientales, southeast France, near the Spanish border
Range
AOC Collioure, AOC Banyuls, AOC Banyuls Grand Cru, and Banyuls vinegars
Banyuls grapes
Grenache noir, Grenache gris, and Carignane
Named wine
Banyuls Rimage Mise Précoce
Defining feature
Canals called les agulles that are a century old and control erosion
The Producer
Cave De l'Abbé Rous brings together 750 small vignerons farming 1,150 hectares of vineyards. Cellarmaster Jauffrey Canier leads the cellar. Viticulture follows lutte raisonnée. The vineyards are always worked by hand.
Place
Banyuls-sur-Mer has 300+ sunny days a year and lies near the Spanish border. Fierce winds sweep through from the Pyrénées, and winters can bring freezing conditions with much snow. Sun helps grapes ripen, wind increases water loss from leaves, and cold slows vine activity.
The vineyards are steep and terraced, with cultivated soil on sloping ground. Century-old canals called les agulles guide water away from vulnerable soil and control erosion. Most harvesting is done by hand with baskets worn like backpacks. The loads are occasionally placed on mules.
Wines
The range contains AOC Collioure, AOC Banyuls and AOC Banyuls Grand Cru wines, alongside Banyuls vinegars. An AOC ties a wine name to a defined geographic production category. Grand Cru is a higher classification term, while AOC Banyuls Grand Cru appears as its own appellation in the range. Vinegar is a separate product made from Banyuls.
Banyuls Rimage Mise Précoce is a 2017 fortified wine from the Banyuls appellation. Fortification adds spirit during production to raise the finished alcohol level. Banyuls is made from about 50% Grenache noir, about 40% Grenache gris and about 10% Carignane.
Final Word
Toward 1870, Abbé François Rous became a wine merchant and producer of Banyuls wines to finance the enlargement of the parish church. The venture outlived its original purpose and grew into the modern cooperative carrying his name.