MAS CRISTINE

History

The Mas Cristine estate stands out for its long history in the Côtes du Roussillon appellation. Established since 1810, the estate has a long winemaking history behind it, seeing many families take part in its history. Surprisingly, vines didn't seem to be a matter of course in the early days, as they were hardly ever planted. In those days, there was no winery or production building, only a mill. The mill was used to produce olive oil, which was the priority for the owners at the time. Over the decades, however, vines were planted and took up a little more space on the estate.

The name Mas Cristine comes from the beautiful story of the mayor of Collioure (1919 to 1935) named Léon Christine. A man who could be considered rather wealthy, since he owned a large number of homes in Collioure and... the vineyard inspired by his name: Mas Cristine. The winery, established in 1810, is in a dilapidated state and is located in the hills above Collioure.

Later, Léon Christine's estate was divided between his two heirs: one received the houses and the other the estate.

The latter was taken over in 2006 by a team of three enthusiasts: Philippe Gard (Coume Del Mas), Andy Cook (British importer) and Julien Grill (outstanding winemaker). Together, they oversee Mas Cristine and amaze tasters...

An interesting crossover

But to make their customers feel their passion, they rely on an atypical terroir. Indeed, some parcels are located at the crossroads of several soil types: we find schists from Collioure mixed with granite from the Albères massif. As you can see, Mas Cristine is very close to Collioure (just a few hundred meters away), one of the region's leading appellations. According to Julien Grill, this proximity and the mix of the two soils make for a very interesting wine-making environment.

Production extends over 25 hectares of vines, including 15 reds and 10 whites. 100,000 bottles leave the winery to reach the tables of wine lovers. The range is highly diversified, featuring numerous grape varieties: Syrah, Carignan and Grenache for the reds; Vermentino, Roussanne, Grenache blanc, Carignan gris, Marsanne, Macabeu, Muscat and Grenache gris for the whites. With precision and skill, our three characters reflect the best of their terroir and grape varieties. It all starts at harvest time, when the grapes are picked by hand to avoid crushing them and select only the best, ripe ones. Vinification and ageing then depend on the wines to be made: red, white, rosé, amber Rivesaltes, Muscat de Rivesaltes.

The award-winning Mas Cristine stands out for its accessible, but above all, fabulous range...