2005 Dom. Perrieres Costieres de Nimes
Marc Kreydenweiss' Southern Exposure
"Chateauneuf's Little Brother" - A Shocking Value
"...beefy flesh and power of better-than-ordinary Chateauneuf."
- Andrew Jefford, The New France
Andrew Jefford, in his quote above, is referring to the wines of Costieres de Nimes, a region in the far south of the Rhône, essentially bordering the Languedoc. You'd be wise to remember this region because, as Jefford’s quote alludes to, this is a terroir with unnoticed potential, and prices to match.
Today we offer up one of the top values of the year for lovers of rich, heady, perfumed Rhône reds: Marc Kreydenweiss’ 2005 Domaine Perrieres. We're talking very old-vine concentration - 80-year-old Carignan blended with Grenache and Syrah. The Perrieres offers up rich, thyme-infected dark red fruits, perfumed strawberry and raspberry fruits, game, licorice and exotic spices. Vividly displaying Southern France’s wild terroir, the wine's purity of expression is something that we rarely, if ever, see under $25.
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Perhaps the purity should come as no surprise: Marc Kreydenweiss is one of the great pioneers of biodynamics in Alsace and all his wines show this common signature of delineation and finesse.
It's a massive understatement to say there's a "disconnect" here, between the top-notch quality and the rock-bottom price. For those who shy away from sub-$20 bottles, the $12 tariff here is deceptive; the wine delivers such quality that if we were charging $25 a bottle, people would happily circle back for more.
Unlike the Costieres de Nimes, the secret of Chateauneuf has been out for sometime. Prices have snuck up to the point where pulling corks can’t take place indiscriminately. It’s very rare that we hear anyone refer to a Chateauneuf-du-Pape as their house wine. This is where Perrieres enters. It’s a wine with enough intrigue that you never tire of opening another bottle and with a price like this, you never need to feel guilty about doing exactly that.
While we’re on the Chateauneuf comparison it’s worth mentioning that Perrieres comes from a terroir of sand and gravel - let's call it "the Rayas" side of the appellation as opposed to the boulder-strewn, rocky vineyards of Vieux Telegraphe. As such, in the Dom. Perrieres there are less roasted, dusty, sunbaked herb flavors and more of the rich fruits, perfume, dark spices, and maybe even a touch of that Bordeaux vibe present in the pre-95 Rayas - or are we going a bit overboard here. Maybe.
But still, rarely (and by "rarely" we mean "almost never") do we find wines with such expressiveness and sheer quality at such a price. AND - all this just in time for fall’s kaleidoscopic leaf display and for all the braises and roasts that fall and winter will hold. It’s hard to imagine a wine better suited for such fare than Perrieres and its rich herbal purity.
At the moment, quantities are good, so take advantage of special case pricing and satisfy your weekday RhĂ´ne yearnings on the cheap while you can! To order, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Stephen Bitterolf
Wine Buyers
Crush Wine & Spirits
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