ROUSSILLON, in the south-west of France lacks the glamour of some of its more distinguished cousins in the north. Its rocky terrain is dominated by the soaring peaks of the Pyrenées. Much of the land is unsuitable for agriculture; indeed, it is so high that often it is snow-covered even in summer. Yet it is here, in a small parcel of land on the arid, schistose slopes around the villages of Maury and St-Paul-de-Fenouillet, that the vine thrives, earning reputation as the producer of characterful, terroir-driven wines.

The region itself owes more to Spain than it does to France. Its inhabitants ally themselves closely with Spain's Cataluña, just over the border. Its reds, mainly a blend of cabernet sauvignon, grenache and syrah, possess a slightly Spanish character. But it is the rich, nutty, minerality of its whites that really excites – in particular, the produce of a relatively young estate known as Le Soula.

The vineyard – a joint venture between English wine merchant Richards Walford, local vigneron Eric Laguerre, who owns Domaine Laguerre, and Gérard Gauby, the maker of one of Roussillon's most exquisite wines – produces wines of an understated, elegant and smooth quality.

Gauby knows his way around Roussillon, and saw in the Agly valley, in particular St-Martin-de-Fenouillet, the potential for extraordinary wines. What persuaded him was the altitude (situated between 450m and 600m above sea level, the area provides a cool climate and late picking) and the soil (a mixture of decomposed granite and limestone). The estate covers around 30 hectares, and is farmed biodynamically.

Biodynamics is a sort of ultra-organic methodology. Such winemakers see the vineyard as a living organic system that is just part of a wider pattern of lunar and cosmic systems. It's a little like Chinese medicine, where instead of treating symptoms with drugs, practitioners look to the cause of the problem and try to heal it naturally.

Whatever the theory, there is no question that wines produced biodynamically have a purer, cleaner character and more finesse. In September, I visited Alan Moueix at Château Fonroque, in Saint-Emilion, which turned itself over to biodynamics in 1996. Tasting the 2006 from the barrel with Moueix, I was struck by its lightness of touch and almost burgundian feel. And so it was with Le Soula. The 2006 Rouge, a blend of carignan, grenache noir, cabernet sauvignon and syrah, has a wonderful elegance and freshness with an appealing, gamey nose.

In June, the estate appointed a new winemaker, Gérald Standley, who visited Scotland recently to present a tasting of his wines. Standley says it took them a long time to get the vineyard right but he is pretty happy with it. Five years of near-drought conditions have not helped production, and yields are tiny – which may explain the prices.

The whites are undoubtedly the stars, with a hazelnut, honeyed, almost white Hermitage feel. Another attractive characteristic is that these are primarily food wines. In other words, wines that are clean, reflect the land they come from and do not smother or overbear in their character. I'm a big fan.

2006 Blanc, Le Soula Blanc, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes, France, £21.99

Understated, elegant and fresh. Exceptionally easy to drink, this has a sumptuous, rounded feel – almost like a white Rhône or white Burgundy.

2004 Blanc, Le Soula Blanc, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes, France, £21.99

The 2004 has a much more rich, almondy, nutty character. In the glass, it develops a pungent, pineapple flavour with a mineral element. Perfect with monkfish.

2004 Rouge, Le Soula Blanc, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes, France, £21.99

A blend of 40% cabernet sauvignon, 30% grenache noir, 22% carignan and 8% syrah, this has a pronounced, jammy, forward-fruit nose with a rich, chewy finish.

Stockists Raeburn Fine Wines, Edinburgh (0131 343 1159, www.raeburnfinewines.com)

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