Domaine La Casenove - Cuvée Commandant François Jaubert 2010

A former press photographer, Étienne Montès took over the family estates, Casenove and Saint-Luc. The La Garrigue and Torrespeyres wines form the core of the lineup and are easy to enjoy. The Commandant-Jaubert wine is produced only when the vintage is suitable. It is named after a sailor—Étienne’s great-great-uncle—who built the estate.

Formerly a photojournalist at the Gamma agency, Étienne Montes eventually settled in Trouillas to carry on the family estate located in the foothills of the Aspres, southwest of Perpignan. He produces a diverse range of wines with distinct personalities, including this cuvée, which is no stranger to our readers. A pure Syrah named after an ancestor of the estate’s owner. The intense, nearly black color shows a hint of aging in its highlights. The nose is concentrated and smoky, with notes of crushed red berries and licorice—the latter remaining present and intense on the palate. Initially pleasantly supple, the palate then reveals powerful tannins against a rich, full-bodied structure, returning to the smoky aromas in the finish. This wine pairs beautifully with game, such as hare à la royale.

This sunny, lively expression of a pure Syrah—full of poise, very dense, with dark, candied notes of tar and resin, and an intimidating alcoholic presence—is intended for lovers of sculptural, massive wines.

Etienne Montès, a former renowned press photographer, has been at the helm of the family estate since the late 1980s. With his deep understanding of his terroirs and their potential, he produces a fine range of IGP Côtes Catalanes wines, ranging from simple, fruit-forward wines to full-bodied cuvées—such as the very famous Commandant Jaubert. The fortified wines (VDN) are very serious in character but sometimes struggle to temper their warmth. The entire range is genuine and of a high standard. Wine lovers will find beautiful, authentic wines here that age very well in the cellar. However, a tendency toward heavy alcohol content is a recurring issue, which detracts from the finesse of the wines and leads us to remove the estate’s star rating. A few technical and stylistic adjustments would likely be enough to breathe new life into the style of these wines, whose depth of flavor is undeniable.