DOMAINE PEYRE ROSE

Domaine Peyre Rose, owned by the charismatic Marlène Soria, is a unique estate in many ways. The wines are unlike any others in the Languedoc. The vines are surrounded by wild garrigue, way off the beaten track in the commune of Saint-Pargoire, somewhere between Beziers and Montpellier. Starting off as a hobby, Marlène planted her first vines back in the 1980s, today there are 26 hectares. The dominant variety is Syrah (70-80%), and there are also small amounts of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. The soils are made up of clay over limestone with a stony topsoil, and Marlène has always adopted an organic approach with slow fermentations, and surprisingly, there is no oak ageing. There are three Syrah based wines: Clos des Cistes, Syrah Leone which is richer and denser, and Marlène’s top wine called Marlène Nº3. All share complex, tertiary nuances of leather and spice, along with notes of fresh liquorice and menthol. She also produces a stunning white wine called Oro; made from Rolle (otherwise known as Vermentino) and Roussanne vines which were planted later. Oro has an intense colour and displays complex oxidative notes thanks to a long maceration period, followed by nearly ten years of ageing in vat and bottle. An important characteristic of these truly special wines is the prolonged ageing period before release, which has made them famous worldwide. We are fortunate to list a range of vintages.