Château Las Collas
With vintages of old Rivesaltes spanning nearly 90 years still resting in ancient cement tank, Château Las Collas is both a study in contrasts and an estate which defies expectation, its winemaking traditions harkening back to the early 20th century, borne equally of great caution and grand ambition.
The long, quiet history of this fourth-generation estate begins with Pierre Puig and his purchase of Mas St-Luc in Passa, on the Roussillon plains known as ‘Les Aspres’, in 1934. Vineyards in this locale date from the 17th century; in the late 1880s, production from the property served the Violet brothers and Caves Byrrh in nearby Thuir. With the establishment of the Rivesaltes appellation in 1936, M. Puig continued to sell most of his wine to Byrrh and later to other negociants ‘en vrac’ but also began the long tradition that still defines what eventually became Château Las Collas, that of holding back wines from its most exceptional vintages—as liquid ‘insurance policies’—for succeeding generations. Son-in-law Nöel Bailbé continued to make wine at Mas St-Luc through the 1960s and 70s until his son Jacques assumed duties in 1979. It was then that production shifted north to Thuir and Las Collas, which Puig had purchased in 1950.
Today, Château Las Collas continues to be administered by Jacques Bailbé and his family: wife Adeline and daughters Emilie, Florence and Marie-Clothilde. The vineyards at Mas St-Luc (now Mas Désiré) have been given over to traditional Catalan olive varieties, but the old vintages continue to age quietly in its ancient cellar while production now comes from the old-vine Grenache noir and argile-calcaire vineyards of Las Collas. With 28-hectares under vine, much of its young wine continues to be sold locally or to the negociant, maintaining the patient and tempered approach that has defined the Puig and Bailbé families—and its historic Rivesaltes—for generations.
Château Las Collas Rivesaltes 2000
France ➜ Roussillon ➜ Rivesaltes AOP 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
This rare wine results from the long tradition of the Puig and Bailbé families, who would reserve their best Rivesaltes vintages for future generations. From the Roussillon plains, under the auspices of Mount Canigou and the nearby Mediterranean Sea, this wine was produced from old-vine Grenache noir and was aged for nearly 25 years in ancient cement tank prior to bottling in 2023.
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Château Las Collas Rivesaltes 1995
France ➜ Roussillon ➜ Rivesaltes AOP 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
This rare wine results from the long tradition of the Puig and Bailbé families, who would reserve their best Rivesaltes vintages for future generations. From the Roussillon plains, under the auspices of Mount Canigou and the nearby Mediterranean Sea, this wine was produced from old-vine Grenache noir and was aged for nearly 30 years in ancient cement tank prior to bottling in 2023.
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Château Las Collas Rivesaltes 1994
France ➜ Roussillon ➜ Rivesaltes AOP 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
This rare wine results from the long tradition of the Puig and Bailbé families, who would reserve their best Rivesaltes vintages for future generations. From the Roussillon plains, under the auspices of Mount Canigou and the nearby Mediterranean Sea, this wine was produced from old-vine Grenache noir and was aged for nearly 30 years in ancient cement tank prior to bottling in 2023.
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Château Las Collas Rivesaltes ‘Mas St-Luc’ 1970
France ➜ Roussillon ➜ Rivesaltes AOP 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
This rare wine results from the long tradition of the Puig and Bailbé families, who would reserve their best Rivesaltes vintages for future generations. From the Roussillon plains, under the auspices of Mount Canigou and the nearby Mediterranean Sea, this wine was produced from ungrafted, old-vine Grenache noir, the last such vintage bottling from Mas St-Luc, and was aged for more than 50 years in ancient cement tank prior to bottling in 2023.
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Château Las Collas Rivesaltes ‘Mas St-Luc’ 1961
France ➜ Roussillon ➜ Rivesaltes AOP 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
This rare wine results from the long tradition of the Puig and Bailbé families, who would reserve their best Rivesaltes vintages for future generations. From the Roussillon plains, under the auspices of Mount Canigou and the nearby Mediterranean Sea, this wine was produced from a traditional field blend of ungrafted Grenache varieties—Grenache blanc, gris & rosat, with perhaps a small amount of Grenance noir—and aged for more than 60 years in ancient cement tank prior to bottling in 2023.
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Château Las Collas Rivesaltes ‘Mas St-Luc’ 1959
France ➜ Roussillon ➜ Rivesaltes AOP 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
This rare wine results from the long tradition of the Puig and Bailbé families, who would reserve their best Rivesaltes vintages for future generations. From the Roussillon plains, under the auspices of Mount Canigou and the nearby Mediterranean Sea, this wine was produced from a traditional field blend of ungrafted, century-old Grenache varieties—Grenache noir, blanc, gris & rosat—and aged for nearly 65 years in ancient cement tank prior to bottling in 2023.
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Château Las Collas Rivesaltes ‘Mas St-Luc’ 1945
France ➜ Roussillon ➜ Rivesaltes AOP 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
This rare wine results from the long tradition of the Puig and Bailbé families, who would reserve their best Rivesaltes vintages for future generations. From the Roussillon plains, under the auspices of Mount Canigou and the nearby Mediterranean Sea, this wine was produced from a traditional field blend of ungrafted, century-old Grenache varieties—Grenache noir, blanc, gris & rosat—and aged for nearly 80 years in ancient cement tank prior to bottling in 2023.
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