Coume del Mas - Banyuls Grand Cru 2005

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

The estate’s first Banyuls Grand Cru. Complex, powerful, and delicate, its sweetness is balanced by a invigorating freshness; the wine maintains its balance and concludes with a long, expressive, and elegant finish. A fine example of the style.

About the estate:

Based in Cosprons, a hamlet of Port-Vendres, Philippe Gard has chosen to set himself apart from most of the region’s other producers, and his wines reflect his personality. Armed with a host of degrees, this agricultural engineer and oenologist arrived in the region in 1997, after spending many years camping there. He founded his estate in 1997, which now spans 15 hectares. While so many others produce sweet wines out of tradition and heritage, he has chosen to make them, focusing on the high end. Long aging periods, and above all with the lees from the current vintage—not those from the previous ten years! As for the Collioure wines, which make up 80% of production, they offer several distinct styles—sometimes coastal, sometimes high-altitude—but always with the same precision on the palate.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

An agricultural engineer, Philippe Gard first worked at the Chamber of Agriculture in Auxerre, then at the one in Bordeaux. But his passion is wine, and he eventually settled down with Nathalie in 1998 in Cosprons, near the Paulilles cove, where he now cultivates 14 hectares of terraced vineyards. He launched his Coume del Mas label in 2001. Intense and refined, his Banyuls and Collioure wines made an immediate splash.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

With a deep coffee-brown color, the 2005 Banyuls Grand Cru is a deep, rich, full-bodied wine that pairs well with chocolate desserts. It offers notes of espresso, figs, caramel, and spices. While chocolate dominates slightly, it is bursting with fruit and beautifully balanced.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

An intense aromatic profile; one imagines dried figs, cocoa, warm brick, powdery clay... The base that carries these notes is concentrated, sharp, and possesses an almost feverish brilliance (high volatility!).

About the estate:

A lover of his terroirs, Philippe Gard has made his home in the hamlet of Cosprons, between Banyuls-sur-Mer and Port-Vendres. He is dedicated to cultivating a 13-hectare estate of old vines, all in remarkably well-situated locations. All the wines are barrel-fermented, and his intimate knowledge of his plots allows him to adapt to the vagaries of climate and microclimates from year to year. His expertise in winemaking and aging has quickly established his production as one of the most ambitious in the region. It certainly deserves the attention of enthusiasts of Côte Vermeille wines: all his wines are captivating and possess excellent aging potential!