Domaine Santa Duc Les Hautes Garrigues Gigondas 2018
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Robert
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast - Decanter
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The wines that come from these parcels are profound and serious, with spicy, licorice notes and chewy tannins which give them extraordinary cellaring capacity.
Blend: 50% Grenache, 50% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre this vintage, the 2018 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues is more open and approachable than the somewhat dense and closed 2017. Floral hints of garrigue appear on the nose, and the fruit is less concentrated and suppler, making it easier to drink now. Mixed berries mark the full-bodied palate, framed by silky tannins and bright acids, leading into a long, mouthwatering finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship is 2018 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues and is another red from this estate that does everything right. Deep ruby/purple-colored with a brilliant bouquet of ripe wild strawberries, blueberries, ground pepper, garrigue, and new saddle leather, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, flawless balance, and building yet seamless tannins. It’s certainly in the new style of this estate and is beautifully done. Enjoy bottles anytime over the coming two decades.
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Wine Enthusiast
Despite its richness and power, this blend of equal parts Grenache and Mourvèdre offers breathtaking airiness and perfume. Sourced from 75-year-old vines planted on sandy soils of the Les Hautes Garrigues lieu dit, it's a bold, muscular red concentrated with flavors of dried plums and blueberries. Anchored by a firm, earthen undertow and fine-grained, chalky tannins, it should improve through 2030 and hold longer still.
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Decanter
This is a profound wine – a very lithe, full, flowing style, quite nakedly fruity. The acidity is a little on the low side and it’s currently pretty backward but harbouring some subtle floral and spice notes among the brooding black fruits. The Mourvèdre has a strong stamp on the wine this year. It’s very long and deep with a sonorous finish. From very old vines, biodynamically-grown on red clay and limestone, partly destemmed which then spends 18 months in recent 3,600l Stockinger barrels and 8,00l amphorae.
Other Vintages
2020-
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Spectator -
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
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Wine
Spectator
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert
Parker - Decanter
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling
Rising as a pillar of quality out of Gigondas’ soils is Domaine Santa Duc – an estate with a history that stretches back to 1874. Through six generations, the domaine’s caretakers have demonstrated a respect for the land. Santa Duc ascended to prominence starting in 1985 as a pioneer of organic viticulture in the region under the care of its indomitable vigneron, Yves Gras. In the 2017 vintage, Gras’ son Benjamin assumed the helm at Domaine Santa Duc, making his mark immediately by introducing biodynamic farming techniques and constructing a new winemaking facility on the property.
In his time at the head of the estate, Yves branched out to nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Rasteau, creating wines of exceptional balance and quality. He seamlessly integrated fruit from each distinct soil type into harmonious cuvées representing the Southern Rhône Valley’s unique terroir.
The estate wines are Ecocert-certified organic and Demeter-certified biodynamic. Working exclusively with indigenous yeast, the wines are partially destemmed depending on vintage and parcel and aged for 18 months in 36-hectoliter oak Stockinger foudres and 8-hectoliter terracotta amphorae. This estate integrates a thoughtful simplicity to the craft of winemaking that results in beautiful purity of expression in the elegant, focused, and polished wines.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
The Southern Rhône region of Gigondas extends northwest from the notably jagged wall of mountains called the Dentelles di Montmirail, whose highest point climbs to about 2,600 feet. The region and its wines have much in common with the neighboring Chateauneuf-du-Pape except that the vineyards of Gigondas exist at higher elevation and its soils, comprised mainly of crumbled limestone from the Dentelles, often produce a more dense and robust Grenache-based red wine.
The region has a history of fine winemaking, extending back to Roman times. But by the 20th century, Gigondas was merely lumped into the less distinct zone of Côtes du Rhône Villages. However, it was first among these satellite villages to earn its own appellation, which occurred in 1971.
Gigondas reds must be between 50 to 100% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre comprising the bulk of the remainder of the blend. They tend express rustic flavors and aromas of wild blackberry, raspberry, fig, plum, as well as juniper, dried herbs, anise, smoke and river rock. The best are bold but balanced, and finish with impressively sexy and velvety tannins.
The Gigondas appellation also produces rosé but no white wines.