Gigondas 'aux Lieux Dits', Domaine Santa Duc, Rhone Valley, France

Tasting Note

The wine is mellow and supple and so very easy to drink, yet still a faithful incarnation of Gigondas. Fruit-driven with flavours of orange rind, sweet cherry, fine herbs, leather, rosehip and sweet spices from the bazaar. 

Grapes

75% Grenache

13% Mourvèdre

10% Syrah

2% Cinsault

How to Drink

With something hearty - grilled steak, game pie or lamb casserole.

Producer Information

Yves Gras is one of the strongest personalities in the Southern Rhône; generous to a fault, he has helped many younger producers to improve their techniques and establish themselves on the market.

Since 2006, Yves has slightly softened his style by shortening the time of cuvaison and using different cooling methods to reduce the austerity that previously characterized his wines; they still have plenty of local character and a huge personality, but are also a little more approachable in their youth. Yves’ son Benjamin has taken charge of the most recent vintages. The results from the 23ha under vine are truly exceptional and have received widespread recognition in the press.

Production Information

Made from a blend of 8 single vineyards ‘Lieux Dits’ that are situated in different localities of Gigondas, thus the cuvee is called "from different localities" ("Aux Lieux-dits"). Total surface: 7 hectares. The soils are a mixture of red and blue clays and calcareous marl with 40-year-old vines. The grapes are hand-picked into crates and sorted manually in the vineyard before a second, table sorting in the cellar. Ecocert-certified organic and Demeter-certified biodynamic.

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. 18 months in 36-hectoliter oak Stockinger foudres, and 8-hectoliter terracotta amphorae. Unfined and unfiltered at bottling.