Rich, Luscious Roussillon from Mas Karolina
When I visited Caroline Bonville of Mas Karolina this spring, it had been several years since we’d seen each other. Hers were some of the first wines I brought in when I took over the French Regional category for K&L. They were brought to our attention originally by Olivier Bonville, her cousin and a legendary winemaker in our Direct Import Champagne program. You might know him by his winery’s name—Franck Bonville—one of our longest-running relationships in Champagne. Olivier threw a mixed case of samples on a Champagne pallet headed our way, and, as soon as I tasted them, I reached out to Caroline. It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a decade since I tasted those first wines.
When I visited her this year, we caught up briefly and began tasting a bevy of new vintages, including some cask samples. Caroline had recently finished her organic conversion for the estate, receiving her first certification on the 2021 vintage. She now farms about 15 hectares, eight of which are in the Maury appellation. The wines were brimming with fruit, succulent and sexy, and had all the original hallmarks that first drew me to this estate. The 2023 Côtes Catalanes Rouge and 2022 Côtes-du-Roussillon were particularly noteworthy standouts. The whites are really interesting too—the 2021 and 2022 l’Envere Blancs are based on the Grenache Gris and Macabeu grapes. These two white (though “gris” is technically pink) grapes are starting to get more attention and for good reason: they are among the best whites in the Roussillon. We finished our tasting with some of the sweet wines, including the 2010 Ambre l’Irresistable which was just that—irresistable! Aged in an oxidative style in cask for over a decade, this blend of Macabeu and Grenache Gris was really exceptional. Long-aged and fortified wines were the traditional wines of the Roussillon region for decades before the rise of classic dried wines, and it is always wonderful to see just how complex and special they still are. Stylistically they fit somewhere between a tawny Port and a Madeira in terms of flavor. Though some of the wines I tasted with her will not arrive until later this year, we are fortunate to have a few of Caroline’s wines currently in stock.
The 2022 Mas Karolina Côtes Catalanes Rouge $14.99 is a succulent red blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsualt. With flavors of boysenberry, black cherry, and toasted tobacco, the wine is generous and supple on the palate, making for great everyday sipping. For fans of Jean-Marc Lafage’s Bastide Miraflors, this is a great crossover choice.
The 2021 Mas Karolina Côtes-du-Roussillon-Villages $19.99 has more power and structure. The concentration is there but there is more texture on the palate. It is a blend of Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah that sees some barrel aging to develop intensity and richness. This is a showy wine filled with notes of roasted plum, black cherry, chocolate, and baking spices. There is so much to like here, and it should drink beautifully for several more years.
Finally, we have another oxidatively aged wine similar to l’Irresistable—the 2006 Mas Karolina "L'Effrontée" Muscat de Rivesaltes (500ml) $29.99. All from old-vine Muscat, it spends well over a decade in cask before before bottling. It is lush with flavors of sultanas, white flowers, and toffee. Serve this little gem with some aged cheeses.