Domaine SANTA DUCGigondas
Yves Gras elevated the house style at Domaine Santa Duc and changed the way many people thought about Gigondas. Now joined by his son Benjamin, together they are making wine with all the hallmark spicy dark fruited character and depth that Gigondas is famed for, but with added emphasis on freshness and minerality.
Background
The Gras family have been making wine in Gigondas since at least the 1870s, today the winery is still on the same site. The modern era here really begins in 1985 when Yves took over his family domaine. His first move was to begin the conversion to organic viticulture, one of the earliest domaines in the village to do so. Yves understood that this was the best way to emphasise his beloved terroir and let it speak clearly. He gained plaudits internationally for his wines which, in the words of Robert Parker, “combined the muscle, richness and fire of a classic Gigondas with a degree of elegance and purity that many wines of this appellation lack.” Yves son Benjamin joined the domaine and is now very much driving things forward, he has been responsible for the conversion to biodynamics and the further emphasis on single vineyard wines. like his father he believes in minimal intervention, low yields, old vines and working with precision and vigour.
The wines have never been better, every bottle delivers quality and excitement, pure fruit, freshness, and depth.
Current Vintages
| Red Wines | Vintage |
|---|---|
| Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Aux Lieux Dits [Read More] 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 13% Mourvèdre, 2% Cinsault. Produced from vines with an average age of 40 years growing in 8 separate plots, ‘lieux dits, covering all of Gigondas’ soil types. In Yves and Benjamin’s hands the result is a classical, complex wine which is full of rich dark fruit and garrigue, with a firm tannic spine and a mineral finesse. Perfect with roast Lamb studded with Anchovy, Rosemary and Garlic. | 2016 |
| Domaine Santa Duc Vacqueyras Les Aubes [Read More] 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah growing on a mix of sand and chalk. 90% Stockinger Foudres, 10% Terracotta Amphora. | 2018 |
| Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues [Read More] Old vine Grenache 65% & Mourvèdre 35%. One of Gigondas’ finest vineyards. Several feet of poor, free draining soil sits over blue clay. Grapes are hand harvested and macerated together for two months before fermentation. 18 months ageing in oak and terracotta. One of the villages finest wines, vintage after vintage. | 2018 |
| Domaine Santa Duc Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Saintes Vierges [Read More] Certified Organic and Biodynamic. A 70 year-old vineyard co-planted with 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, and 10% Counoise. The sandy soil has quartz and mica and gives elegant wines with fine tannins and structure, and delicate floral elements which compliment the wines power. Aged in Foudre and Terracotta. Bottled with no fining or filtration. | 2018 |
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