2015 Mas de Sainte Croix "Passion d'Une Terre" Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Valreas

2015 Mas de Sainte Croix "Passion d'Une Terre" Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Valreas SKU #1305926

$12.99

RP 90-92

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Professional Reviews

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
90-92
A tank aged blend of equal parts Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, the 2015 Valreas Passion d’Une Terre looks to be outstanding, with lots of creamy fruits, licorice and spice, medium to full-bodied richness and a ripe, textured, polished profile. It should drink nicely right out of the gate. Located between Valréas and Vinsobres, in the southern Rhone, Mas de Sainte Croix covers 27 hectares of vines and makes a number of cuvees. These were both tasted as barrel samples, but they certainly have fabulous potential. (JD)

(04/2016)

K&L Notes

Jacques Coipel worked in the petrol industry until 2002 when he decided to change career paths and enter the wine business. He purchased an exceptional site in the Cotes du Rhone Village Cru of Valreas. His vineyards sit at around 1200 feet with a mix of clay, limestone and gravel making up the soils. With cooling winds from the north and at this higher altitude, there is a crispness to the wines showing more red fruit qualities in the reds and more vibrant apple tones in the whites. Around the same time Jacques's son, Julien, began studying winemaking working in Switzerland and New Zealand (with Te Mata, one of our favorites). Julien returned to Ste. Croix in 2010 and began working on the wine with his father. Julien's lighter but technical touch makes for wines that are great expressions of the Valreas terroir. The "Passion d'Une Terre" is primarily Grenache with a heavy dose of Mourvedre. It is a full-bodied wine with ripe berry notes, a succulent palate and long lengthy finish. (Keith Mabry, K&L Wine Merchants)

Staff Reviews

By: Blake Conklin
7/12/2018
K&L Staff Member

Mas De Saint Croix is definitely one of my personal favorites when it comes to our direct import program. Good quality every day drinking wine for a fantastic price. Many of Mas De Saint Croix's portfolio has been a staple in my household. This blend of Grenache and Mourvedre makes this wine very approachable.Medium bodied, well balanced, and packed with many complex flavors on the palette. This is one of those wines I like to call a steal of the century.
By: Thomas Smith
9/3/2017
K&L Staff Member

The Mas Sainte Croix is yet another exceptional value from one of my new favorite communes in the Southern Rhone--Valréas. This wine really showcases the aromatic power of one of the coolest locations in the region, and displays elegance and finesse: spices, licorice and red fruits. Grounded with excellent concentration and intensity on the palate, this ranks among the best wines I've had from Valréas. An absolutely killer value.
By: Keith Mabry
8/1/2017
K&L Staff Member

Our newest arrival from the Rhone Valley is from father and son team, Jacques and Julien Coipel. Our initial contact came through email when Julien reached out through our website and thought K&L might make a good partner in the US. He sent along samples and we were immediately pleased with the quality. Everything showed vibrant purity of fruit and great Rhone expression. When selecting new producers to work with though, just making a delicious wine is not the only thing we're focused on; we have plenty of delicious wine. At the time, we were planning our spring buying trip in a couple of months, so we asked Julien to be patient and we would come see the vineyards and meet with him while visiting the the area. Very accommodating, he held back from presenting the wine elsewhere and when the time came, welcomed us to the winery and gave us a brief tour of his surrounding vineyards. We got the details of farming practices, terroir, vinification, et al, out of the way and all were more than satisfactory. We tasted the wines again and of course they showed even better (home field advantage of course). A lot of our relationships are based on personality. For me, when I make a choice the wine needs to meet these criteria: the wine has to be good, it has be correct, it has be distinct and it has to reflect the personality of the person or persons making it. Julien is serious minded. He is focused on making the wines at Mas de Sainte Croix serious wines. And there the deal was struck. We took a whole range of wines from the Cotes du Rhone (featured in our CLUB), the beautifully distinct white (which drinks more like a Crozes Hermitage Blanc), the Quintessence (the top cuvee) and of course the "Passion." The Passion capture the essence of this producer. It reflects the northern placement of these vineyards in the Cotes du Rhone with the purity and expression of the fruit. It also reflects the beauty of the 2015 vintage in spades lining up with some of our greatest hits so far like St. Cosme and Verquiere. Rich but not heavy, it is as distinct and serious as Julien himself. This particular wine is probably my favorite in his entire line-up because it is ultimately one of the most satisfying and serious reds I have had from the Rhone in quite some time.
By: Sharon Kelly
7/26/2017
K&L Staff Member

This wine's beautiful dark fruit, licorice, spice and earthiness opened up absolutely beautifully after 30 minutes of air. It still possesses an intensity that has plenty to offer but with just the right amount of restraint to prevent this intensity from being overwhelming. Tannins are present but very smooth and the mineral notes and soft acidity provide the perfect balance. This is an incredible price point for this wine.
By: John Downing
7/24/2017
K&L Staff Member

Since I'm a Rhone wine fan, I'm always on the lookout for new arrivals in our French section. Recently, I picked up a bottle of this latest arrival and opened it with dinner. Needless to say I was very impressed. For me it's somewhat of an atypical Cotes du Rhone in that it combines 25% Mourvedre with 75% Grenache without the addition of Syrah. The nose is a heady combination of dark berry and plum fruit with hints of licorice and mineral while the palate is full-flavored and concentrated with fruit that is certainly ripe yet maintains its freshness. As much as I love California Rhone blends, I'd have to spend far more to find one of this caliber.