Domaine de la Pertuisane Têtu 2015 | Incredibly Delicious Value

Easily a dead-ringer for a top-flight Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but this Roussillon red from Maury is in a class all its own. This opulent old-vine Grenache combines mouth-filling ripe wild strawberry and black raspberry fruit.  In addition, with leather, garrigue, olive, and crushed rock flavors on a mesmerizing blackberry and savory herb finish.  Finally, bracketing supple tannins with chiseled schist-soil minerality and mouthwatering acidity. As a result, Domaine de la Pertuisane Têtu 2015 is simply delicious and an incredible value. Made by Winemaker Richard Case, who’s the genius behind the Department 66 wines.  And, brought to the states by Importer Kimberly Jones.

92JS | Domaine de la Pertuisane Têtu 2015 is a beauty and the finest wine I’ve tasted from this estate. Made by Richard Case, who’s the guru behind the quality of the Department 66 wines, it offers a deep purple color to go with ripe, sexy aromas of black raspberries, melted licorice, roasted herbs, and ground pepper. Picking up a terrific sense of minerality with time in the glass, it’s full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and voluptuous, with no hard edges and clean, weightless texture. It benefits from a short decant and will keep for 7-8 years. It’s a serious wine.

Red Wine Gems under $35

91 Wine Advocate | Made by Richard Case, who’s the genius behind the Department 66 wines, the 2015 Cotes Catalanes Tetu is close to 100% Grenache and from a top selection of vineyards owned by the co-op in Maury. There’s roughly 7,000 cases of this beauty and it offers loads of sweet red fruits, (strawberries, cherries), pepper, iris and exotic spices in a medium to full-bodied, supple and sexy style that’s about as drinkable as they come. Count me as a fan and it’s a terrific value.

American Importer Kimberly Jones

Domaine de la Pertuisane Têtu was born of a shared devotion to Maury’s old-vine Grenache and is a collaboration between ourselves and American Importer Kimberly Jones.  While working alongside local growers in premium sites with vines over 60 years of age.   As a result, creating a new cuvee that displays all the complexities of the local terroir with finesse, depth, and old-vine concentration.   Notably, Têtu literally translates as obstinate or unyielding. While the Catalan donkey or Ruc Catalá on the label serves to remind us of these stubborn old vines.  In addition, persevering in the toughest of soils and harshest of climates to deliver wines of unique style and expression.

So, Case and his wife Sarah own Domaine Pertuisane and have partnered with star Importer Kimberly Jones to make Tetu.  As a result, in a 91-point rave, Parker’s Advocate called it a “beauty,” which offers up “loads of sweet red fruits.  In addition, exotic spices concluding it is “about as drinkable as they come. Concluding, “Count me as a fan and it’s a terrific value.

Winemaker Richard Case

First of all, the Pertuisane story began in the foothills of the Pyrennées.  In 2002 winemaker Richard Case and his wife Sarah staked their future on two hectares of ancient Grenache vines surrounding the village of Maury. While convinced of its truly exceptional terroir, adding eight more hectares in time for the 2003 harvest.  Finally resulting in the first small run of high-quality, handcrafted wine.

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While Maury is a remarkable winemaking village in the Catalan region of southern France. Yet, it lies midway between Spanish Catalonia and the southern Rhône valley.   Hence, like the vineyards of Priorat and Châteauneuf du Pape is dominated by gnarled old-vine Grenache on broken, black schist soils.  So, the landscape is tough and unforgiving. Therefore, not much else survives here except impenetrable garrigue of Spanish oak, dense scrub, aromatic lavender, rosemary, and thyme. Furthermore, the summer sun is intense and the windswept vineyards can’t help but produce small quantities of rich, intensely flavored fruit.