Domaine La Casenove - Cuvée Commandant François Jaubert 2010

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

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

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

Formerly a photojournalist at the Gamma agency, Étienne Montes eventually settled in Trouillas to continue running the family estate located in the foothills of the Aspres, southwest of Perpignan. He produces a range of varied wines with distinct personalities, including this cuvée, which is no stranger to our readers. A pure Syrah named after one of the owner's ancestors. The intense, almost black color shows a hint of evolution in its reflections. The nose is concentrated and smoky, with notes of crushed red fruit and licorice, the latter still present and intense on the palate. Initially pleasantly supple, the palate then reveals powerful tannins with a generous volume and returns to smoky aromas on the finish. A beautiful pairing with game, such as hare à la royale.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About wine:

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

About the estate:

Etienne Montès, a former renowned press photographer, has been at the helm of the family estate since the late 1980s. With his in-depth knowledge of the terroirs and their potential, he produces a fine range of IGP Côtes Catalanes wines, from simple fruit wines to large-scale vintages such as the highly acclaimed Commandant Jaubert. The VDNs are very serious but sometimes struggle to moderate their warm character. The entire range is sincere and of good quality. Wine lovers will find beautiful, authentic wines that are capable of aging very well in the cellar. However, the alcoholic heaviness is recurrent, which hinders the finesse of the expressions and leads us to remove the estate's star rating. A few technical and stylistic adjustments would undoubtedly suffice to dust off the style of these wines, whose depth of flavor is undeniable.