Some time ago, Mark Andrew MW of Noble Rot (then at Roberson Wine) held a tasting featuring La Pèira, ‘Legends of Southern France’.

This week, another Master of Wine, Konstantin Baum, published a video called ‘Cult Wines from the South of France’

Konstantin Baum earned the prestigious Master of Wine (MW) title in 2015, becoming, at 33 years old, the youngest person from Germany to do so. He’s worked at London-based fine wine exchange Liv-ex, established one of the most one of the most popular wine channels, and runs education platform Cellar Class and also Baum Selection, importing and selling wines. More here on Konstantin Baum…

The tasting featured La Pèira, Grange des Pères, Mas Jullien, and Mas de Daumas Gassac. The wines tasted were from the 2008 vintage and whites alternatively from the 2014/2015 vintage.

This was a wonderful chance to look at older vintages of red and white wines from the South of France.

Cult Wines of the South of France

The channel offers the rare treat of opening and tasting interesting (often high-end) wines in real time.

Recently reviewed wines included:

• Petrus 2004 – 93 pts
• 2011 Haut-Brion – 95 pts
• Krug 2008 – 95 pts
• La Tâche 2011 – 97 pts
• 2019 Beaucastel – 94 pts
• Jacques Selosse V.O – 95 pts
• Sadie Family Columella 2020 – 95 pts
• Clos Saint Urbain 2021 – 93 pts
• Vieux Télégraphe La Crau – 94 pts

The tasting, quite rightly, served as a tribute to the astonishing work of the late Laurent Vaillé of Grange des Pères, with these old vintages — the white 2014 and red 2008 — receiving deserved acclaim.

The 2014 Grange des Pères Blanc was rated near-perfect at 99 points (one of the highest scores in the channel’s history), while the 2008 Grange des Pères red received 96 points.

La Pèira was awarded 95 points, and the La Pèira Blanc 2014 received 94 points — both serving as excellent indications of the cuvée’s capacity to age

Critical Perspectives:
La Pèira, Grange des Pères, Mas Jullien, Daumas Gassac

Full reviews from The Wine Advocate, Jancis Robinson, Jeb Dunnuck, and Decanter for La Pèira, Mas Jullien, Grange des Pères, and Mas de Daumas Gassac follow below and are also available in PDF format

Critical Perspectives:
La Pèira Blanc, Grange des Pères Blanc, Mas Jullien Blanc, Daumas Gassac Blanc

As detailed in the tasting with the look at white wine of these four producers in 2014 and 2015, the ability of these white wines of the South of France to age and to gain complexity with time is evident.

Here are Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Jancis Robinson MW, and Decanter Magazine on these whites over the decades.