iDealwine update: Rose on the rise

Nestled in the Languedoc, Domaine Peyre Rose started out as a hobby for Marlène Soria, but has since grown in size and stature, becoming a hotly sought-after label with fine-wine connoisseurs.

Seen as one of the Languedoc’s brightest stars, Domaine Peyre Rose enjoys recognition from critics and collectors alike. It was created in the 1980s quite by accident – former estate agent Marlène Soria was showing clients around a beautiful country house in the garrigues-bestrewn heights of Saint-Pargoire, between Béziers and Montpellier. She fell in love with the property and bought it herself as a holiday home.

A few years later, Soria and her husband decided to clear away some of the garrigue, or scrub, on their land to plant some vines. The idea was to craft some wine on a small scale for her personal enjoyment with friends and family. What began as a hobby developed into a full-time occupation, and the couple began to plant more seriously: in the space of three years, 17 hectares of vines were put into the ground.

In the subsequent decades the estate grew larger, and today spans 25ha, for the most part planted with red varieties: 70% Syrah, the rest made up of small amounts of Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, and Carignan. White grapes are grown on 2ha, including Rolle, Roussanne, and Viognier. The property boasts 70ha of land; the vineyards are therefore surrounded by garrigues shrubs, protected from spray contamination of neighbouring vineyards. From the outset, the vines – which grow on stony, clay limestone soils, at an average of 220m altitude – were farmed organically.

The first harvest took place in 1988, at a time when the Languedoc was still overlooked by many fine-wine drinkers. However, Peyre Rose’s first vintages won over critics such as Robert Parker, and soon the estate was enjoying considerable recognition. Marlène Soria was even selected as the French publication RVF’s ‘Man of the Year ’ in 1994, a prestigious if antiquated accolade.

What makes these wines so special? Produced from extremely low yields of mainly Syrah – the rest of the blend varies according to the cuvée and the vintage – these are monuments to the potential power and finesse of Languedoc wines. Very long ageing periods in old oak help to soften the tannins, and the wines spend several years ageing in the bottle before commercial release; the 2010 was released only in 2020.

Offering a striking contrast between the fragrant aromas on the nose and muscle on the palate, Peyre Rose bottlings are sought out as much for their energy, tension, and structure as for their kaleidoscopic palette of aromas, ranging from black olive, leather and liquorice to game, tobacco, and undergrowth. Unsurprisingly, these wines are lauded throughout the world by critics, sommeliers and collectors alike, but are produced in very limited quantities. Since 2011, when the appellation name changed from Coteaux du Languedoc to simply

Languedoc, Marlène Soria chose to eschew the appellation altogether, instead opting to release her wines as Vin de France. This did nothing to temper collectors’ interests, and the past two years have seen significant price increases at auction for all Peyre Rose bottlings.

The most striking Peyre Rose sale was a bottle of 1993 Syrah Léone (now called Belle Léone), which went under the hammer for an impressive €270 (£235) in December 2021, representing a threefold price increase in just two years. Other vintages of this cuvée sell for just under €100, with some, such as the 1996, often reaching €120.

SUAVE TEXTURE

If Syrah Léone is coveted for its power and suave texture, and is more accessible in youth, Clos des Cistes, produced from vines grown at higher altitude, is known for its electric acidity, and requires extended ageing before revealing its full potential. Recent vintages of Clos des Cistes go for just under €100, whereas releases from the 1990s are garnering more attention from collectors. The 1995 and 1996 sold late last year for €149 and €161 respectively.

The 1996 is also a popular vintage for the Oro cuvée, the estate’s only white wine. A smoky, saline blend of Rolle, Roussanne, and Viognier, only 3,000 bottles are produced every year. 1996 Oro sold for €130 last summer, up from €100 the previous year. All vintages go for around €100. Marlène N°3 is Marlène Soria’s fourth and final bottling, first produced in 2003. All vintages sell for at least €80; the 2009 reached €120 in 2021, the last time it sold at auction.

Peyre Rose is now the sixth best-selling Languedoc-Roussillon estate in iDealwine auctions – in 2020 it held 10thposition – and from 2020 to 2021, we noted a 14% increase in average price per bottle. Domaine Peyre Rose’s success at auction reflects a wider phenomenon in the finewine market, as regions such as Languedoc-Roussillon step out of the shadows, and its star vignerons become a staple feature of iDealwine auctions.

What’s more, from 2020 to 2021, Languedoc-Roussillon wines experienced the most significant price increases overall, with a staggering 71% rise in total hammer price value generated from the region. The trend is all the more striking given that the number of bottles auctioned remained virtually stable. Laurent Vaillé’s Grange des Pères escalates this regional trend but is certainly not the only factor. Undoubtedly, regional icons such as Domaine Peyre Rose are only starting to spark enophiles’ interest.

auction update – sponsored by iDealwine