Chateau Peyrassol & Domaine Peyrassol

Hey everyone,

This week, I had the opportunity to try a few wines which do not often chance to cross my path. Being that I work in a well supplied wine shop, I get the chance to taste a lot of nice wines and some very interesting ones as well. That said, I am somewhat limited by my own selection and do not often taste outside our range. Coming home however, I am often presented with some really interesting bottles selected by my elder brother, who has developed an eclectic taste.

Among the selected wines were a pair of Provençal roses, from the same producer; Domaine Peyrassol, one being a standard affordable rose and the other a bit more elegant and classy.

The first wine, simply named for the Domaine, was fruity, fresh and pleasant.  Accompanying burgers and hot dogs off the barbecue, it was perfectly suited to the occasion.  Not too powerfully fruity, with a good profile of strawberry and raspberry, it was balanced by a nice level of acidity.  A hint of tart cranberries came through as well on the finish giving it a touch of complexity in an otherwise simple, straightforward wine.

The second wine was definitely intended to be a more structured and refined style, but I'm not so sure it really lived up to that standard. Instead of a bright pinkish colour, the Chateau Peyrassol was decidedly more of a silvery salmon hue with a beautiful luminescent character in the glass. The nose was refined and balanced a moderate fruitiness with a hint of spice and herbs (perhaps a bit more mourvedre in this blend).


It wasn't quite as good of a match with the big rack of spicy barbecue ribs and ended up serving the same purpose as a glass of cold water. Although I prefer the more restrained style of rose that this wine displayed, it just didn't stand up to the food and could have done with a bit more fruitiness and acidity. In essence this wine's own classy character got in the way of it being a good pair, but on its own it was a delightful glass of wine.

Personally, I preferred the cheapie for the enjoyment factor.

As neither of these wines are what I would consider overly expensive, both being in the sweet spot between £9-20, I would consider them both bargains and good wines for the price and their class. Alongside many wines from the south of France making it to our shelves they offer good quality for their price. I'm a huge fan, and I think they deserve more attention as the daily drinking quality wines they are.

I hope you're all drinking well these days, whether you're enjoying the cool summer weather in Britain or the sweltering heat in America, where I am right now. Sometimes a nice cheap, fruity rose is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Much love,

G