With an imminent visit from Andy Cook (that’s him on the right!) for various tasting events lined up in the Autumn, we thought we would shout about the fantastic wines from Tramontane/Consolation and Mas Cristine.

Even in the initial stages of setting up de Burgh Wine Merchants we were very keen to work with Andy Cook. Andy has proven himself to be a talented young wine maker, bringing out varietal character in his single varietal wines whilst his blends are super refined, polished and complex. A few are “Not for the Shy” but all are, we think delicious and a must try for any wine lover. We believe that his wines represent superb quality and fantastic value for money, especially when compared to the prices of good Rhone Valley wines.

Before turning wine maker extraordinaire in the sunny south west French region of Roussillon, Andy ran a wine shop in St Andrews. He now resides with his family in the beautiful seaside town of Collioure only a few miles away from his new purpose built winery ‘La Belle Vie’. Andy, with a little help from his partner Phillipe Gard (an agricultural engineer and winemaker), works hard producing wines from several domaines in the area. Their flagship range is Consolation which changes each year as they select the best parcels of grapes from their and their friend’s vineyards. Mas Cristine is a separate estate which Andy manages. Finally the Tramontane wines are parcels of wine sourced through the local Co-operative which Andy managed to save from being blended with the whole year’s harvest. The wines themselves are categorised by different appellations- Cotes Catalanes, Cotes du Roussillon & Rivesaltes.

Although Roussillon is synonymous with Languedoc, it has history, rich with Spanish influence and a strong regional identity. The regions’ inhabitants are Catalan rather than French or Occitan and they identify closely with the Spanish Catalans just across the border.

Roussillon’s topography is unlike the flat coastal plains of its’ neighbour to the east-Languedoc. Vineyards are interspersed between soaring mountain ranges and coastal areas in Roussillon. The climate is France’s hottest and driest with an average of 320 days’ sunshine a year, so this warm, dry climate is perfect for producing healthy ripe grapes. The Tramontane wind (their equivalent of the Mistrale in the Rhone Valley) cools things down, and also helps keep the vineyards bug-free. Soils vary from pure schist to granite, clay and loam. Plantings of individual varieties are often determined by the soil type.

Click below for the range of wines –
Tramontane-Consolation-Mas Cristine
For more info and prices, please contact orders@de-burgh.com or call 01875595100