Domaine Madeloc 'Tremadoc', Collioure 2023

Collioure's vineyards sit in a spectacularly scenic coastal corner of Roussillon, right at the Spanish border with terraced slopes tumbling down to the Mediterranean - the same area where the renowned, sweet Banyuls vins doux naturels come from. The whites from round here aren't the lean, lightweight numbers you often get from coastal regions; this is richer and more powerful, but with a saline twang and herb-edged hint that tells you it's from Roussillon. Ripe citrus and juicy nectarines lead onto a rich, rounded palate courtesy of a few months spent in old oak barrels. Full-flavoured with added garrigue and sea-spray - quite distinctive.

Good with richer seafood, white meats or poultry, where its body and saline edge suit fuller flavours.

Pierre Gaillard left Roussillon to study oenology in the 1970s and cut his teeth as a vineyard manager for Guigal in the Northern Rhône before going on the establish his own estate in the region. However, Catalan country still pulled at his heart strings and so he bought Domaine Madeloc back in 2002. A small but stunning estate sat on steep coastal slopes that reach down to the Mediterranean near the small town of Banyuls in the Collioure appellation. The climate here is dry and hot, the soils schist, but with the constant cooling sea breezes this is a hard but highly rewarding place to make wine.