Commanderie de Peyrassol La Croix Peyrassol 2010

The La Croix Peyrassol is a cuvee made especially for our US market by request of Neal Rosenthal, the importer. The result is an exciting wine that has considerably more freshness and drive than one might expect from the warm dense weather of Provence. After all, it is the fruit that has always been key to the enjoyment of this wine. Curiously for Rosenthal, normally reluctant to rely too much on Merlot, the final blend is 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah. Despite what you may think about Merlot, the palate is well balanced with the addition of Cabernet and Syrah.

We could attempt to bring you something exciting and racy to say about this wine, but we're going to leave it to the expert, Michael Kane, of Rosenthal Wine Merchants. Michael dazzles us with this to say about the wine:
I note every ounce of the 10% syrah right away on the nose of the 2010 La Croix Peyrassol with the whiff of woodsmoke and game as one’s nose breaks the plane of the glass, but what follows on the palate is all merlot with its soft luxurious texture and lack of any specific locality to the grip to the wine’s integrated tannins.

And then he warns:
Whew! Definitely can’t use any of that, but it felt good getting it out there!

But we can't help it. It's why we love the wine and all the possibility when we drink it!

La Croix Peyrassol  $17 a bottle

meet the winemaker

Alban Cacaret
The first recorded harvest took place in 1256 and winemaking has continued uninterrupted throughout the centuries. When the Templars were brought down in 1311 by the King of France, who was nervous of their power and jealous of their wealth, the Knights of Malta became the fortunate owners of the Commanderie. They remained in control, flawlessly maintaining the vineyards until the French Revolution, when it was taken over by the State. The Rigord family purchased the estate in 1870. The best known proprietor, Francoise Rigord, had been making the wines at Peyrassol since 1981. She sold the estate to Philippe Austruy in 2001 who has had his dedicated and passionate nephew, Alban Cacaret, running the property flawlessly since the sale.

The Commanderie is extremely conscientious about the surrounding environment and the delicate balance of the local Mediterranean ecosystem. They use no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides in their vineyards. Organic foliar sprays are used to help prevent chlorosis (nutrient deficiencies) and sheep manure is the only fertilizer used after the planting. The age of the vines, the rocky terrain, and the hot, dry climate establish conditions that severely restrict yields. As a consequence, harvest yields are extremely low.