GIGONDAS
2022 Les Hautes Garrigues Domaine Santa Duc
50% Syrah 50% Mouvedre Less on the perfume, more on the meaty garrigue style, bright crunchy red fruits with blue currant & dark cherry, violets , lovely juice, sweet and flowing, excellent very smart, great concentrated and textured, layers of dense dark fruit, vibrant too. Great elegance, will need time and patience.L&S (Oct 2024)
75cl bottles (case of 6)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
This is a very dark, meaty, powerful and full-bodied Gigondas. Stacks of licorice, cinnamon and cardamon as well as elderberries. Easily carries its very bold structure thanks to the fineness of the tannins. Very long finish that is much less assertive than the front and mid-palates. A cuvee of 50% grenache and 50% mourvedre from the plateaus of Gigondas. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink from release. Rating: ***** Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com (Nov 2024)
Warm spice and plum sauce notes are full and rich, yet show nice firmness on the lush palate. A sanguine thread of smoke weaves through, with everything well-integrated on the long, elegant and harmonious finish. A distinctive, graceful style, with plenty of round seductiveness. Grenache and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2038. —K.B. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 94 Kristen Bieler, The Wine Spectator (Nov 2024)
The 2022 Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues, a blend of equal parts Grenache Noir and Syrah, wafts from the glass with a vibrant, energetic bouquet of bay leaf, violet, flowers and mulberries, accompanied by a signature delicate reductive touch. Medium to full-bodied, it stands out for its depth and concentration compared to its counterparts. It has a perfectly balanced texture, fleshy core of fruit and layered structure, concluding with a long, ethereal finish that is highlighted by delicate notes of violet and pepper. This stunning and elegant cuvée will age gracefully over the next decade and beyond. Rating: 93 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Oct 2024)
Domaine Santa Duc
The name of Domaine Santa Duc has been at the pinnacle of wine in Gigondas since the mid 80’s when, under the firm guidance of the irrepressible and charismatic Yves Gras, they gained international recognition and high scores from wine critics. They have, for some time, been a reference point for quality and style, from one of the most consistently brilliant Crus in the Southern Rhone.
The future of the domaine is now in the very capable hands of Yves' son Benjamin, who becomes the 6th generation of the family to head up the estate. To borrow from Matt Walls ‘Yves Gras and his son Benjamin are very different characters. Yves has the air of a retired East End enforcer, but Benjamin is bookish and jovial’. It would appear from our recent tastings that the estate is in safe hands. Having a respectable CV that boasts stages at Domaine de la Romanée Conti and Vega Sicilia, and visits to nearly every wine producing country in the world, he brings fresh views and ideas, whilst respecting the traditions of his father's work and the past.
The entire 30-hectare estate is now biodynamically farmed and certified, with an emphasis on total respect for nature in the vineyard. They comprise a patchwork of prime vineyard sites in Gigondas totalling 13 hectares, including two brilliant lieux-dits, Les Hautes Garrigues & Clos Derriere Vieille, that bring out the very best expression of Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre. There is also 6 hectares of prized parcels in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, that have gained high praise in a short space of time. The balance is spread across Vacqueyras and Cotes du Rhone. Nearly all the vines are trained goblet, with a program of Massal selection ongoing to ensure healthy vines from older rootstocks.
The wine making philosophy, like so many now, is as little intervention as possible. Stainless steel fermentation, with a proportion of stems and a short maceration followed by ageing in a mixture of large foudres and terracotta amphorae. The wines are fresh, elegant, pure, dark fruited and long lived although approachable in their youth too. Be in no doubt, these are some of the best wines being made in the southern Rhone.
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Wines bought en primeur are scheduled to arrive in the UK over the course of the next eighteen months. If you do not wish to take home delivery, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our primeurs team for more information.
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