Coume del MasBANYULS, COLLIOURE, CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON…

The history

Philippe Gard trained as an agricultural engineer specialising in viticulture and oenology. Always a winegrower at heart, he started growing and making wine in the foothills of the Pyrenées in 1997, with vines high above the town of Banyuls. From the very beginning, Philippe has applied the utmost rigour to his work in the vineyard and the winery. Of course, it is the potential of the diverse old vines grown on rocky terraces that shape his work. Each cuvee is the reflection of a vintage on a particular terroir of schist. “We are merely dwarves on the shoulders of giants. Most French Appellations have had their past and future mapped by links with the Church, or with investors. This has never been the case in Banyuls. So here the intense work is somehow achieved by a passionate crowd of individuals – diverse, but with one common belief.”

Today

Philippe Gard joined with Julien Gril and Andy Cook in 2006 to reanimate the venerable old domain Mas Cristine – working in Côtes du Roussillon appellation in Argelès since 1810. The 25 hectares of vines are at around 250m above sea level, and the schist soils of the Albères hills. Situated only a few kilometres from Coume del Mas, the work here continues the desire to understand and express the best Roussillon terroirs.  In addition to the classic Mas Cristine wines, the winery produces the Consolation range with a selection of micro-cuvées from the very best sites, Terrimbo in Collioure (organic certified production) and a range of Côtes Catalanes IGP wines under the Tramontane label.

A spirit of innovation

joining Vignobles & Signatures in 2017 was the logical step in the spirit of sharing, creativity and solidarity.