Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas 2018The Domain
1874 . The first buildings. Six generations follow one another at the Domaine Santa Duc and in turn, each one brings their stone to the building on this vineyard of Gigondas known since Gallo-Roman times for its red wines of character. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault are so many noble grape varieties that the Gras Family is committed to highlighting.

1985. Yves Gras takes over from his father Edmond and gives a new international dimension to the estate’s wines with abundantly ripe fruit, wild herbs and great length. Very quickly, Robert Parker wrote: “Santa Duc combines the muscle, richness and fire of a classic Gigondas with a degree of elegance and purity which are lacking in many wines of this appellation”. In 2005, the book “The greatest estates in the world”, by the same author, published by Simon & Chuster highlights the long history and the unique character of the Domaine’s wines. The cuvée “Les Hautes Garrigues”, from one of the best vineyards in the region, located on the Gigondas plateau, becomes an iconic wine. This wine reveals an immediately recognizable expression of the Garrigue terroir and a distinctive minerality drawn from clayey and incredibly stony soils. Yves Gras’ vision, as keen as that of the bird of prey from which the name of the estate was taken (the name “Santa Duc” refers to the Grand Duke owl who lives in the region) takes him ever further. Continuing his search for fresh terroirs suitable for the production of great wines, he acquired magnificent plots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the Crau area.

1994 . Yves Gras is embarking on a new project. It rehabilitates and enhances a forgotten Clos, magnificently located above the church and the hospices of the village of Gigondas: the Clos Derrière Vieille. For Benjamin, who takes over the reins of the estate, one thing is certain: if the soils and the exposure differ between this Clos en monopole and “Les Hautes Garrigues”, the philosophy remains, of course, the same. Massal selections, biodynamic cultivation, whole harvests, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention, bottling without filtration …

This unique know-how, which is also found in the plots of Châteauneuf-du-Pape – La Crau Ouest, Les Saintes Vierges, Le Pied de Baud, Habemus Papam – allows Benjamin to reveal the fundamental characteristics of a great wine. : balance, elegance, purity and depth. Obviously for a family of winegrowers born at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail, whose splendor and natural beauty are a daily source of creative inspiration.

The 2018 Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits features pungent notes of tapenade and licorice on the nose, backed by dark fruit flavors. Full-bodied and rich, it delivers a velvety mouthfeel that gradually fades to silk on the finish. Drink: 2020-2030
91-93 points | Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate