Domaine PIETRI-GERAUD was founded at the end of the nineteenth century. Today it is operated by two women, Maguy PIETRI-GERAUD, and daughter Laetitia. These two women succeed five generations of Collioure winemakers to tend these vines.
The vineyard cultivates 26 hectares, including 16 on the steep slopes of Commons Collioure and Banyuls. This is the point where the Pyrenees tumble into the Mediterranean; the schist terraces, which form the appellations of Collioure and Banyuls, cling to the hillsides. It is on this last link in the chain of the Pyrenees, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, that rely on shale terraces that form the appellation Collioure and Banyuls, rough land, borrowing a strong identity where all still cultivated by hand. The 40 to 100 year old vines give their best, but yields remain low; on our estate, the annual average is around 22 hl/ha.
Our wines, which come from this traditional and ancestral cru, are vinified and aged in the heart of the village, a stone’s throw from the Château Royal and its famous bell tower.
Over the past forty years, by some coincidence, the domain has spread to the plain of Roussillon, around a small village, Ortaffa. There, facing the Canigou, the clay-limestone give rise to tasty Muscat de Rivesaltes and Côtes du Roussillon and complement the range of Domaine Pietri-Geraud.
Our wines are regularly mentioned in several guides as Hachette (present every year since 1992 and Featured in 2012), Fleurus, Dussert-Gerber, Bettane & Dessauve, Revue des Vins de France … and in various sections of the daily newspapers, regional national and specialized. They obtained several awards: 4 Bacchus (three for Banyuls Blanc) and 6 gold medals at the Concours Général Agricole (4 for Collioure Rouge, one for White and one for Rose).
Banyuls Cuvee Mediterranee 2010
As a follow-on from the amazing 2003, this is another delicious Banyuls. Matured for no less than 4 years in old barrels, outside and exposed to the elements of all four seasons, it really does tick all the boxes. Bonfire toffee, Christmas cake, roasted mocha, prunes in eau de vie, Seville oranges, marmalade and polished old wood are just a few of the aromas which greet the senses on the first sniff, along with a definite hint of damp earth/forest floor. The flavors are beautifully concentrated, but there’s a degree of subtlety and elegance too, with the aforementioned toffee and fruitcake qualities accompanied on the palate by flavors of crystalized red and black fruits and almost fresh orange acidity, whilst whatever tannin remains is tempered by a level of sweetness that is comforting, rather than cloying. There’s a warming touch of eau de vie on the finish, but you almost don’t notice it, because it gets buried beneath those fruit flavors, which go on and on for an age – and at just 16% ABV, this is a fortified wine which majors on fruit, not alcohol. It really is a quite wonderful wine.
Vintage: 2005
Region: Banyuls – by the Mediterranean, near the Spanish border
Grapes: 90% Grenache, 10% Carignan
Average age of vines: 40 to 100 years
Yields: 25hl/ha
Residual sugar: 95gr/l
Traditional maceration, fermentation under temperature control, maceration for 3 weeks, gentle pressing, bottling spring.
Aging Process: In concrete vats on fine lees for one year, then for 5 years in rather new barrels
Alcohol: 16.0%
Food Pairings: Dark chocolate tart w/ figs prunes, strong cheeses, veined cheeses, old goat cheese, foie gras, duck breast w/ fresh figs, patés, rich fruit cakes and puddings (including chocolate), dried fruits – versatile!
Aging: Excellent now, or will be great for 20+ years
