Mas Peyre La Cuvée Peyre White

‘La Cuvée Peyre’—‘the stone wine’ in the Occitan dialect of its historic denizens—is a wine of place, of terroir. Predominantly Grenache blanc with a small percentage of Vermentino, it is farmed organically and harvested from the Bourrel family’s schist-laden Espanel vineyard in the high, windswept Agly Valley of northwest Rousillon. Fermentation is in new 220L Allier oak, followed by five months on the lees in INOX, and it is bottled without added sulfites, heightening the wine’s transparent expression.

Ample, lively, and strikingly mineral, it shows notes of Bosc and Anjou pear, acacia and linden blossom, and its generosity makes it an ideal companion at the table.

France, Rousillon: Grenache Blanc, Vermentino 2021

750 mL, 13% ABV

Mas Peyre is a true family affair. After 20 years as a pillar of the local cooperative, the Bourrel family departed and founded the domaine in 2003. Claire manages the business and the shop, while Gerard tends the vineyards; sons Baptiste and César handle the winemaking and marketing, respectively. Based in the village of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, on the western flank of the upper Agly Valley, the Bourrels now farm nearly 37 hectares and celebrated their 10th anniversary by completing conversion to organic viticulture in 2013. Vineyards in Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet (black schist and marl) and further west in Prugnares (argile-calcaire) range from 350-400 meters in altitude, balancing warm days with cool nights, preserving the freshness and energy that is a hallmark of their wines. From these, the Bourrels produce a range of vivacious, organic table wines.