Gigondas & Vacqueyras

With the dramatic backdrop of the Dentelles de Montmirail which dominate the skyline, the wines of Vacqueyras and Gigondas are starting to step out of the shadow of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and forge an identity of their own. It is just lazy to compare them to their more illustrious neighbour; these are wines of power, yes, but can also show finesse and freshness. The soils and elevations, especially in Gigondas, are quite varied, so making very broad generalisations is dangerous - it's better to look at them domaine by domaine or even vineyard by vineyard

Santa Duc Gigondas can be drunk from shortly after release, but these are wines grown high on the chalk-clay plateau, and with bottle age of say 6-8 years are only just starting to come into the sweet spot. The elevation and chalk make for wines with tension and length which age beautifully. The Gigondas of Thierry Faravel at Domaine la Bouïssière is also a wine from the hills, and like Santa Duc, it is harvested a week or more after the vines lower down. By contrast Thierry's Vacqueyras is on the slopes facing the Plan de Dieu, and shows a different, more opulent texture.