Domaine Ollieux Romanis
I last visited Ollieux Romanis, with Pierre Bories in 2018 so it was high time for an update on one of the leading estates of Corbières Boutenac, with the opportunity to admire the streamlined new cellar. But first a look at the vineyards.
Pierre talked about water stress. He has quite lot of clay in his vineyards, which are only 25 kilometres from the sea, as the crow flies, so there is a certain amount of humidity from the entrées maritimes, making for some dew, so that rainfall is less important. He also talked about planting half a hectare of vines pruned in a pergola, which creates natural humidity, with more vegetation. There is only half the usual number of vines, 2500 per hectare, at a height of 1.80 metres, and all the work is manual.
Pierre expects the area between Narbonne and Perpignan to become more arid over the next 15 years and the cultivation of the vines needs to be adapted accordingly. He has planted some Assytiko and he expects Cinsault and Carignan to be able to cope with the drier conditions. The future of Mourvèdre is doubtful. Grenache in a heatwave turns into stewed fruit and needs to be picked early, but then it is not so complex, whereas for the moment, Syrah works well, provided you pick it early. However he certainly would not plant it again. Cinsault is very good in dry conditions, However it is not allowed in Boutenac, as it is not ‘historic’. None the less Pierre has planted some and it is gradually being accepted.
He has six weather stations in his 60 hectares of vines, each monitoring 15 hectares for wind, rain, soil temperature and humidity on the leaves, which helps decide about treatments. There are considerable differences between the various stations, and the information helps save on treatments.
Pierre also talked about the cru of Boutenac, which is based on the Massif du Pinada, which is 380 meres high, and touches 10 villages or communes, with the vineyards of Boutenac all around it. There is red sandstone, which gives freshness to the wine, as well as galets roulées. There are two big mountain influences in the Languedoc, affecting virtually all the appellations of the region, except Picpoul de Pinet and they are the Pyrenees, which make an impact on Corbières, and the Massif Central, for appellations like the Terrasses du Larzac. The Pyrenees help account for the diversity of the Corbières, with a series of valleys
The cellars are in a large barn, a solid building built in 1896, which was completely renovated for the 2020 harvest. It is filled with brightly shining stainless double steel vats and everything works by gravity, with supplies of hot and cold water, nitrogen, CO2 and compressed air on tap. The walls of the vats are double, for insulation, and the wine is kept at 10C but the cellar itself is not cooled, only the wine. There is insulating mousse between the two walls. Pierre is very concerned about economising on electricity. He has solaire panels and is working towards carbon neutral. The main problem is tractors, which are not yet electric. And the barrel cellar is partially below ground, and was deliciously cool on a hot summer’s day. He is shifting towards larger barrels and away from barriques, wanting micro-oxygenation, and aiming to keep his barrels longer.
Pierre’s parents took over the family estate in 1978. His father was a lawyer, a notaire, and it was his mother who made the wine. Pierre's studied mathematics and economics, and then worked as a financial trader. and then 2003 he had to make a decision. Essentially the estate would be sold if he was not prepared to take it over, so he took up the challenge, and then in 2022 he bought the very successful Limoux estate of Rives Blanques, as he was looking to expand his portfolio of white wines. He made the 2022 vintage with the previous owners, Jan and Caryl Panman, and the 2023 vintage was all his own work.
And then it was time for a tasting, beginning with Rives Blanques. The labels have been modernised quite dramatically.
2022 2445, Blanquette de Limoux - 17.50€
The name is the height of the mountain in the Pyrenees. And the wine is pure Mauzac, with eighteen months on the lees of the second fermentation, with no dosage. A good mousse and lightly herbal with fresh acidity. It seemed drier than the wine I remembered from the Panmans. Pierre is planning to experiment with disgorgement times and see what might work best, aiming to leave the wine for as long as 36 months. For the moment he is not bothering with Crémant de Limoux but will concentrate on Blanquette.
2022 Conservatori, Limoux, Mauzac - 17.50€
Golden in colour. Lightly herbal with a touch of oak, after nine months ageing in oak, mainly demi-muids from Stockinger. Quite rounded with good body, weight and texture. Quite a dry finish, a joli amer or nice bitterness, as the French say.
2022 Eden, Limoux, Chenin Blanc - 17.50 €
Again nine months ageing in oak. Lightly golden colour, with dry honey and on the nose and palate. Good weight and mouthful and a lightly saline finish. The 2023 was riper, but less expressive.
2022 Tres Pech, Limoux, Chardonnay - 17.50€
Lightly golden, lightly buttery, smooth texture and rounded with supple acidity and a streak of tannin from the oak ageing. Quite supple and ripe. Well made but not my style of Chardonnay.
2022 Trilogie, Limoux - 25.00€
70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin blanc band 10% Muzak. Nine months ageing in Stockinger demi-muids. Light golden. Quite herbal herbal noses. Satisfying weight on the palate, with herbal notes and good acuity with a fresh finish. An appealing tension on the finish.
And then we turned our attention to Corbières
2023 Cuvée Classique Blanc- 12.00€
A blend of 30% each of Roussanne and Marsanne, and 20% each of Grenache Blanc and Maccabee. Light golden. Lovely satisfying texture and weight. Some balancing acidity and a joli amer on the finish.
2023 Cuvée Prestige Blanc - 25€
A blend of 75% Roussanne, with 15% Marsanne and 10% Grenache Blanc. Some initial skin contact at a cool temperature; natural yeast, no sulphur, fermentation and ageing in larger oak, some new. A good comparison with the Cuvée Classique. This has more weight and oak, and is nicely mouth filling with a streak of tannin, as well as good acidity and a joli amer on the finish.
2023 Alba, Corbières Rosé - 16.00€
90% Grenache Gris, with 5% each Grenache Noir and Cinsault. A little skin contact, but essentially vinified like a white wine. Gris was part of the tradition of Boutenac. Pale gris colour; very elegant with a delicate nose and delicate fruit and good depth, with refreshing acidity on the finish.
2022 Cuvée Classique, Corbières - 12.00€
Originally Grenache, Carignan and Syrah, but the blend has changed to include Cinsault and reduce the Syrah, making for 40% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault. No oak, and redolent of fresh fruit, with some spice and a streak of tannin. Medium weight. Pierre call this a glouglou wine! I couldn’t agree more.
2022 Cuvée Prestige, Boutenac - 17.00€
40% Carignan, 30% Syrah 20% Mourvèdre and 10% Carignan. 50% aged in barrels of one to five wines. And 50% is kept in stainless steel tanks. Their biggest selling wine. Very deep colour. Rich spice and tapenade on the nose. Rounded spice, black fruit and olives on the palate. A firm streak of tannin and a serious mouthful of wine, with some ageing potential.
2022 Atal Sia Corbières Boutenac - 26.00€
The name means Qu’il en soit ici,in Occitan, or in English, Let it be here. 50% Carignan, with 25% each of Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre aged in vat, and just one barrel of Syrah. Very deep colour. Very ripe fruit, rounded and rich with a balancing streak of tannin and a fresh finish.
2022 Cuvée Or - 27.00€
45% each of Syrah and Carignan with 10% Grenache. Malo in wood, with ten months ageing in oak. Deep colour. Firm structured and youthful Tight knit fruit. Peppery tannins from the Syrah. Pierre observed that although this wine sells well at the estate, it is not longer the future of Ollieux Romanis The older generation like it! But styles have changed.
And then we adjourned to the pop up restaurant, Touketa. in vineyards. It is up hill from the wine cellar, with Pierre saying very firmly 'If you can’t walk, you can’t drink'. However in the winter months it is firmly indoors! So some more tasting and some elegant dishes, tomatoes with burrata and avocado with crab. They have to use what Pierre called verres tempêtes, storm glasses with a heavy base, which roll in a circle if they fall over, as glasses with tall stems blow over so easily in the wind, which is notorious in the Aude.
2023 Maccabeu UNIQUE - 11.50€ with dry herbal notes. Quite firm and stony, with firm tight knit fruit and a rounded finish.
2023 Grenache Blanc - 12.50€
An interesting comparison of two southern grape variety. The Grenache was more rounded and textured, with a streak of acidity and a slightly bitter finish.
2023 Cinsault - 12.50€
Piere began planintg Cinsalt ten years ago and produced his first single variety 3 years ago. And then included it in his Cuvée Classique in 2022. Quite a light colour. Fresh red fruit. Medium weight. Fresh and fragrant. And a lovely example of the grape variety.
2022 Carignan VERT - 11.50€
Good young colour. Quite dense red fruit with a streak of tannin,
And then our conversation moved onto the state of the Languedoc, as Pierre is the newly elected president of the CIVL, the Comité des Vins du Languedoc, which unites most but not all the various appellations. He feels strongly that the Languedoc is a region that is appreciated by the younger generation - the prices are more accessible, but then they move on to Bordeaux and Burgundy so the question is: how to keep them? There are top quality Languedoc wines, but the Languedoc still has an inferiority complex, which of course unmerited. The Languedoc is still an adolescent as regards its appellations. They need to create a project en commun, with some common purpose. I wish Pierre good luck.
Comments