93-95pts VinousLurid ruby color. There are ripe red fruit, flora, incense and exotic spice qualities on the expansive, mineral-accented nose. Juicy, polished and alluringly sweet, this Gigondas displays seamless texture to its intense Chambord, cherry-cola
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93-95pts Vinous
Lurid ruby color. There are ripe red fruit, flora, incense and exotic spice qualities on the expansive, mineral-accented nose. Juicy, polished and alluringly sweet, this Gigondas displays seamless texture to its intense Chambord, cherry-cola, lavender pastille and Asian spice flavors, which convey a suave blend of power and delicacy. The mineral and floral notes carry through a strikingly long, precise finish that’s given shape by delicate, well-knit tannins. Raised in a combination of Stockinger oakfoudresand clay amphoras.
– ByJosh RaynoldsonJanuary 2023
Yves Gras deserves full credit for pushing Domaine Santa Duc, his familys property, into the upper tier of Gigondas, and the Southern Rhne, starting in the mid-1980s. Gras’ son, Benjamin, assumed control of the domaines 26 hectares of vines and winemaking in 2017, pushing quality even higher. Benjamin Gras arrived at the domaine following graduating from the University of Dijon andstagesat Domaine de la Romane-Conti and Vega Sicilia. The sixth generation to run the estate, Benjamin Gras is a restless experimenter in the cellar. Today, he makes ample use of Stockingerfoudresand clay amphoras for all of his wines. In the case of the Gigondas bottlings, the result is wines of markedly greater finesse than those of his father, which could be bruisers and sometimes excessively oaked. This winery must be counted among the handful of great producers in Gigondas.
90pts Vinous
The 2021 Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits is refined and engaging. Fragrant raspberry, forest strawberry and dried herbs meet stemmy undertones, resulting from the 100% whole cluster fermentation. Ripe tannins frame this moderately concentrated 2021 red. Drinking Window: 2024-2035
90-92pts Wine Advocate
Blended from eight sites on the plateau of Gigondas, the 2021 Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits is a strong effort, with overtones of roses and garrigue to the cherry-berry notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, ripe and silky in feel, with ample concentration and length.
Benjamin Gras described the 2021 vintage as “unusual, but good.” According to Gras, the frost only impacted lower-lying vineyards, but what followed was a cool, cloudy summer that necessitated seven or eight treatments of the vines, then came 200 millimeters of rain in September.
One key development at this family-run estate is preparing to introduce a Gigondas Blanc to the lineup. A portion of the property’s highest terrace, located at 350 meters above sea level, has been over-grafted to white varieties (90% Clairette and 10% Bourboulenc). It will be interesting to follow that wine going forward, as Gras already makes a successful white from those varieties in Roaix, fermenting and aging the wine in a mix of demi-muids and amphorae. “It [Clairette] is a floral variety, not a fruity one,” said Gras. “I’m a big fan of that.”
While Benjamin’s father, Yves Gras, may still be spotted prowling around the property, his preference for bold, sometimes hulking wines has been completely replaced by his son’s pursuit of lower alcohols and elegance. In 2021, admittedly a cool year, Benjamin says his reds will all be labeled at 13.5% alcohol.
Benjamin provided a quick window into how his wines have evolved by sharing a bottle of the domaine’s 2017 Gigondas Clos Derrire Vieille, a wine I have now had the chance to try on four separate occasions. As on previous tastings, it’s silky and elegant, yet still youthful, capable of aging through 2035a solid 93-point wine. As my notes were very similar to the last published review (in October 2020), I’ve not bothered to rereview the wine formally, but I simply mention this to reassure any consumers who might be concerned about how the new generation’s wines might evolve.
Surface Area:7 hectares.
Geology:Sand rich in red clay and coarse gravel from the colluvial Cne de la Font des Papes at Les Hautes Garrigues, Les Carbonnires, Les Rocassires and Les Routes.Sandy soil rich in red clay, gravel and marl from the colluvial Cne de la Font des Papes and Trignon at Santa Duc.Soils rich in fine matter, with grey pebbles, clay and sand with an influence from the Ouvze terrace and, to a lesser extent, from the Cne de la Font des Papes at Les Pailleroudas.Blue Pliocene marl from the end of the Tertiary period at Goujard and Plane.Grey marl from the Cretaceous period, rich in limestone, at le Clos Derrire Vieille.
Method of cultivation:Ecocert-certified organic and Demeter-certified biodynamic.
Grape Varieties: Grenache 75%, Mourvdre 13%, Syrah 10%, Cinsault 2%.
Age of Vines: Average 42years.
Harvesting & Vinification: The grapes are hand-picked into crates and sorted manually in the vineyard before a second, table sorting in the cellar. A proportion is destemmed, the quantity being determined by the nature of the vintage and the parcel, and the grapes are fed by gravity into the vats to ensure the integrity of the berries. Fermentation takes place in thermo-regulated stainless-steel vats for 20 to 30 days, with two long pumping over sessions daily. Punching down is decided after tasting. Pressed pneumatically. Malolactic fermentation in vat. The wines are clarified by settling over winter in the cellar. Barrel filling occurs in the spring.
Ageing: 18 months in 36-hectoliter oak Stockinger foudres, and 8-hectoliter terracotta amphorae. Unfined and unfiltered at bottling.
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