The promotion of Rasteau’s red wines to cru status which puts them on a par with, among others, Châteuneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas is overdue recognition of the quality of the wines produced in this village. The clay-limestone rolling slopes of Rasteau produce red wines with vibrant fruit, spice and power.

Domaine Bressy was established at the end of the 19th century and responsibility for the Domaine has been passed down the generations. The sudden death of Emile Bressy in 1976 necessitated major career changes for his daughter, Marie-France and her partner Thierry Masson who jointly took over the reigns of the Domaine.

Domaine Bressy-Masson now works 32 hectares of grenache, syrah and mourvédre grapes spread across a range of terroir – from low yielding, grey clay and limestone on the mountain plateau to richer, brown clay sloping soils around the Domaine to poor and low yielding stone soils of the plain at the base of the village.

The Domaine’s wine style can be summed up as silky and feminine. The red wines exhibit a marvellous harmony of ripe fruit, spice, soft tannins and balanced acidity with tastes that linger delightfully on the pallet. The Domaine produces three Rasteau sweet wines including a Rasteau Rancio which is made from a blend of sweet wines of different years. The Rancio wine which is deliberately oxidised in barrel is now rarely made in Rasteau. But thank goodness, Domaine Bressy-Masson has continued with this gloriously fat, sweet wine of honey and walnut aromas