Producer | Domaine de Terrebrune |
Country | France |
Region | Provence |
Varietal | Grenache (Garnacha) |
Vintage | 2023 |
Sku | 12015061 |
Size | 1.5L |
96 Points, Chris Cree Master of Wine
This leads off on the nose with hints of wild herbs - thyme, sage, rosemary -followed by delicate white peach, a summer red fruits with a hint of tropical fruits and citrus underneath. It has a lively minerality and a hint of tannins in the structure that keeps it focused and liner. Overall it’s like drinking liquid summer - with a touch of salinity in the finish from its proximity to the sparkling Mediterranean visible in the distance.
Drink it now with all kinds of summer fare - grilled meaty fish, chicken and vegetables, all kinds of appetizers, charcuterie, tapenades, cheeses, or a classic nicoise salad. With age, it picks up weight and develops deeper aromatics, allowing it to stand up to richer and more complex dishes.
The wines of Reynaud Delille’s Domaine Terrebrune are some of the best produced in this tiny Appellation in the heart of Provence. I have visited and tasted in the cellars on a number of occasions, and hosted Reynaud for wine dinners here in the US - I hope we can get him back one day! Meanwhile the 2023 arrives today - always a late release due to its large component of Mourvedre in the blend, a grape that doesn’t like to be rushed along.
As delicious as it is today, that trait continues once it’s in the bottle, with the wine almost always gaining in complexity with a couple of years in the bottle. I have enjoyed 20+ year old rosé, an amazing testament to a wine that is so much more than ordinary “pink plonk” to be drunk up before Labor Day. This is a serious wine!
With that in mind we also have a few magnums - buy one and stash it away for 4-5 years and you will be amazed! Born in the near perfect Mediterranean climate of the south of France, with reddish clay/limestone soils and a blend of 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 25% Cinsault that is organically farmed. Just a dozen or so cases on offer - don’t miss it!