Terrasses du Larzac: Mondavi's South of France Dream Bottled

SAINT SATURNIN, France, September 24 // --

- Writing for Britain's Financial Times, Andrew Jefford Sees Robert
Mondavi's Dream to Make One of the World's Finest Reds in the South of France
Realized

In 2000 and 2001, Robert Mondavi's plan to make one of the world's finest
reds in Aniane, Languedoc, and subsequent battles with Aime Guibert of Mas de
Daumas Gassac prompted widespread debate in publications such as the New York
Times, BusinessWeek, TIME magazine, The Wine Spectator, and as a subject of
Jonathan Nossiter's 2004 Documentary, Mondovino.

Camps split between those who believed Mondavi's international
reputation, partnerships with Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, and ownership of
Ornellaia would reinvigorate the South of France, and those who took
Guibert's Line ('How would New Yorkers like it if someone takes a chunk of
Central Park and makes a vineyard there?')

Nearly ten years on from L'Affaire Mondavi, Andrew Jefford, writing in
Britain's Financial Times observes:

"What 2009 suggests, though, is that some of the greatest vineyard land
in the south of France did indeed lie close to hand - but not exactly where
the Mondavis thought it did. That land could, moreover, have been purchased
by the Mondavis without any need to battle Guibert...The name to look out for
is Terrasses du Larzac"

As evidence of this he cites, "the astonishing wines of La Peira" which
he praises as "the finest new wines I tasted in 2008."

Jefford is not alone in such praise.

Writing in a recent issue of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, David
Schildknecht states the La Peira wines "need not fear comparison with any of
the world's wine icons" and are among, "the very greatest wines of the
Languedoc."

Others, such as Wine Library TV's Gary Vaynerchuk, have gone on record
declaring:

"The flagship wine from this new venture is easily going to be the next
great global cult wine. Think Clos Erasmus or Masseto; that's the level of
quality that this wine brings."

While this domaine began its life in the much the same location Mondavi
coveted (with the first wines vinified in a small stone building between the
well-known Grange Des Peres and Daumas Gassac) it is far from being the work
of a group of revered industry veterans.

As Jefford notes:

"This small, 11.6ha domain is the creation of one of the most unlikely
Languedoc proprietors I have ever met: Rob Dougan. He's a dishevelled
musician and composer of alternative bent who seems to have effaced his
Australian origins almost completely in more than 20 European years. Together
with his partner, a lawyer of French-Mauritian origin called Karine Ahton, he
has created (with winemaker Jeremie Depierre and consultant Claude Gros) a
range of wines of striking depth and originality yet great truth to place,
too."

The efforts at La Peira form only part of that of a larger group of young
domaines and ambitious vignerons, all determined to forge a reputation for
the Terrasses du Larzac appellation by creating world class wines. Wines that
can often be purchased at a fraction of the cost of those with a little more
recent historic padding to their price tags.

For while the Romans first planted vines in the Terrasses du Larzac area,
and it itself forms part of France oldest viticultural region, the
appellation was awarded as recently as 2004/2005.

The nomenclature share two villages with that of Roquefort - France's
oldest and the world's first appellation in 1925 - and efforts here do much
to persuade, not only that the idea of Appellation is still very much alive
in 2009, but that France may indeed have a present and future informed by the
spirit of inquiry that typified its past.

As Jefford's article concludes, "This is one of the most exciting regions
of the world for wine quality."

About La Peira:

La Peira is a wine domaine started in 2004 in the Herault region,
Languedoc - committed to transforming the Terrasses du Larzac appellation and
producing world-class wines. The domaine produces three reds (La Peira, Las
Flors de la Peira, the entry level Obriers de la Peira) and a white
(Deusyls.) The wines are available through Eric Solomon's highly regarded
European Cellars in the USA through retail outlets such as Zackys, K & L
Wines, Wine Library, and the Wine Exchange. In the UK the La Peira wines
imported by Fields, Morris & Verdin, noted importers of Bodegas Vega Sicilia,
and Ridge Vineyards amongst many others, and its parent company Berry Bros. &
Rudd.

For further discussion on this and other topics about the domaine please
visit the La Peira Blog:

http://lapeira.wordpress.com

SOURCE La Peira