Exploring the Roussillon (4) Domaine Pertuisane
Website: https://pertuisane.com/
We’re in Maury. It’s beautiful and rugged, and the vineyards are rocky. I’m with Richard Case, who makes wines for his own domaine (Pertuisane) and also for Dave Phinney’s Department 66.
Richard and his wife Sarah began this project back in 2002 when they purchased a couple of hectares of old vine Grenache in Maury, and then the next year added another eight.
Maury is quite stunning, and the soils are black schist, and really bony.
2024 was a short vintage, so Richard bought some fruit this year. We began by looking at some of the cask samples from this year.
Green Eggs & Vin 2024
This is from the old vineyard we saw first, called Sarah. It’s 70% red grapes and 30% white. Floral and expressive with sweet cherry and berry fruits. Rich and textural. Very expressive. 94-96/100
Nebbiolo 2024
This is 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Grenache from granite soils, and it may be blended with something else. Ripe, textural and fruity with a lovely core of flavour. Salty, ethereal and very fine. Supple and bright. 94-96/100
Ribs 2024
Grenache from red clay soils. Juicy, bright and focused with good energy and some nice graininess. There’s a floral edge to the fruit. Slightly salty. 93-95/100
Grabielle Grenache 2024
Third harvest from this clonal selection. Beautiful floral notes, sweet black cherry fruit. Bright, with nice energy and some elegance. 93-95/100
Croix Blanc/Coutibe/Rigole 2024
Three vineyards in Maury with old vines. Warm and spicy with nice density and some grip. Notes of pepper and garrigue. Spicy. 95-96/100
Final Draft 2024
This is Cabernet Sauvignon. 16% alcohol, which it carries quite well. Lovely blackcurrant fruit with nice spice, and some green hints. Supple black fruits dominate. 93-95/100
Bottled wines
Pompier Grenache 2023 Côtes Catalanes
15.5% alcohol. This is from the schists of Maury, and it’s a negociant wine that sells at €15. 50% concrete, 50% neutral barrels. Lovely weight here: ripe, rich and concentrated with notes of damson and chocolate as well as bright cherries and berries. There’s some peppery detail, too. Sweet, supple finish. 94/100
Green Eggs & Vin 2022 Côtes Catalanes
Old oak here. Supple and warmly spiced with notes of ginger, spice and a twist of oak. Finely structured palate is detailed and peppery with some garrigue notes. Mineral, tending to elegance, with grainy structure. 94/100
Le Nain Violet Grenache 2023 Côtes Catalanes
Mostly from old vineyards, this is 100% Grenache. Bold, concentrated, rich and deep with fine spices, pepper and garrigue. Nice structure and density here. Rich but shows balance with some saltiness on the finish. Such detail with some liqourice notes in the mix, too. 95/100
Final Draft Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Côtes Catalanes
15.5% alcohol. This is from two barrels, one of which was new. Some sappy warmth to the rich blackcurrant fruit nose. The palate is pure and long, fresh and vivid, with sweet blackcurrant fruit and a nice hint of green. There’s structure and depth here with real finesse. 95/100
Department 66 Painted Scars 2021 Côtes Catalanes
15.5% alcohol. Debut vintage. This is 70% Grenache (from schist) and 30% Syrah (from granite). Brooding and intense with nice black cherries and blackberries, leading to a bold, rich palate with focused black fruits, cherries, plums and pepper. Great concentration and really pleasurable. 93/100
Department 66 Painted Scars 2022 Côtes Catalanes
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. Floral and expressive with sweet blackberries and black cherries. Salty and spicy, with floral black cherries. Grainy, chalky and with some liquorice. This is rich and bold, but in this ripe style it’s very expressive. 94/100
