94 points: David Schildknecht, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A compelling and intense nose of leather and spiced sun-baked berries. Very very dense, thick and opulently ripe. Black cherries and mulberries explode in the mouth, leaving a tantalising long trail of soft sweet spice in their wake.
Gary Vaynerchuk on the 2005 vintage: "The flagship wine from this new venture is easily going to be the next great global cult wine. Think Clos Erasmus or Masseto; that's the level of quality that this wine brings! Dense, rich and explosive, with layer after layer of flavor and complexity. Ripe, but never over-the-top, this stunning effort should easily last 25 to 30 years. Expect ENORMOUS ratings for this wine. Syrah with a small amount of Grenache Noir. This wine just took my breathe away, though it is a little more over the top than most wines I score this high, to me this is the perfect example of a wine that knows how to handle it's huge, massive fruit and balance it with some of the most obvious structure I have seen in a wine. The pencil shavings in the mid-palate stood out and the ripe strawberry fruit that dominates the back end is world class!"
David Schildknecht, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, August 2011: "From a blend close to that of its 2009 counterpart, the 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac La Peira bears some resemblance to a top-notch Medoc in its ripe though restrained expression of black fruits allied to sealing wax and iodine, crushed stone and carob. Somewhat somber overall for a wine from this estate and with a more palpable sense of structure and sheer density than most Languedoc reds of its vintage, this nevertheless proceeds to finish with a surprising degree of sheer juiciness and energy as well as a nearly indelible impression of berry skin and mineral matter. It won’t seduce you in the manner of its 2009 counterpart, but it certainly commands your attention – indeed, the finish practically demands your submission!" 94 points
The domaine began in 2004, situated at the foot of the Larzac plateau, where the grazing of sheep and production of Roquefort begins. This is an area of warm summers and cold winters, and of poor stony soils scented of fennel, rosemary and thyme.
The approach to viticulture is meticulous. Very low yields, short pruning, crop thinning, shoot removal, leaf plucking, and green harvesting, the hand picking of perfectly ripe grapes in small cagettes, and the careful élevage of small amounts of wine in new barrels.
The team consists of winemaker Jérémie Depierre (a young vigneron with stages at Château Margaux and Château Guiraud), Karine Ahton (a lawyer from the Languedoc), and Rob Dougan (a writer/composer of music).
2005 vintage: Gary Vaynerchuk 99 points
