Gigondas Lieux Dits, Santa Duc

Dark ruby. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet features ripe red and dark berry and spice qualities, along with incense and smoked meat hints. Conveys a suave blend of richness and energy, offering appealingly sweet black raspberry and cherry-cola flavors and a touch of candied lavender. The floral note repeats emphatically on the impressively long finish, which features harmonious tannins that fold smoothly into the wine's lush, highly expressive fruit. - Josh Raynolds

Expressive strawberry fruit and maraschino cherry. The palate is vibrant and mouth-filling, the fine tannins support this and there is a remarkable zip of freshness through the wine. A subtle lick of salinity on the finish. Great elegance here. - Alistair Cooper MW

Et virkelig dejligt glas vin, der vil stå godt til det meste, man kan smide på grillen. Den har en meget præcis frugt. Samtidig har den både dybde og sødme nok til at klare både røg fra grillen og det søde fra marinaden.

quite a dark red robe; the bouquet is interesting, with a varied cast of contributors, more to come, involves plum, raspberry, a note of caramel, and a cool, near iodine tone. It’s nicely together. The palate is well defined, gives a fine run of red fruited content, helpful spark in its slightly rocky tannins, continues freshly into a clear finale. Its juice is quietly concentrated, and it will gradually fuse and then open, so is worth waiting for, from around 2025. - John Livingstone-Learmonth

Grenache to the fore, strawberry and Victoria plum, but all the varieties make themselves known. This is medium-bodied, not excessive, large or heavy with real purity and drinkability. It has a good sense of balance and elegance with fine tannins. The alcohol is warm but not out of balance. Eight different plots around Gigondas, biodynamically farmed, partly destemmed.

Landlig duft med indslag af stald og grove pølser. Frugten har nuancer af brombær og sorte kirsebær. Tillige fornemmes en snas af mynte og rosmarin. Fyldig i munden. Flot moden frugt og sødmen helt i balance. Vinen har en svagt kølig note og en anelse urt i eftersmagen. Trods pæn fylde virker denne biodynamisk dyrkede vin ikke tung. Den har dog saft og kraft nok til at klare de fleste vildtretter og såmænd også andestegen til jul.

In contrast to Santa Duc's pointed single-vineyard bottlings, this Grenache-dominant blend (augmented by Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault) sourced from eight distinct sites throughout Gigondas gives a holistic look at Gigondas. Black-cherry and mulberry flavors are ripe but briskly balanced by a dazzling mineral freshness and salty, chalky finish. Fruity yet shaded by subtle kisses of charcuterie and dried earth, it's a complex, hedonistic wine that's at peak now through 2030. Made from organic and biodynamic grapes.

Currently more floral and expressive on the nose than the 2017, although less concentrated, the 2018 Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits boasts hints of peppery spice, garrigue, a hint of roses and blueberry and raspberry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, silky and taut, striking a good balance between ripeness and acidity, particularly noticeable on the long, mouthwatering finish. - Joe Czerwinski

More concentrated than the 2018, the 2017 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. - Joe Czerwinski

Lurid violet color. Sexy, spice-accented aromas of raspberry, cherry preserves, incense and succulent flowers, along with a vibrant mineral element build in the glass. Offers concentrated yet lively red berry liqueur, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that stain the palate and display sharp clarity and mineral lift. Finishes with impressive nerviness and cut. Silky tannins frame the wine’s lingering, sweet fruit. - Josh Raynolds

Elegant og sødmefuld duft af brombær, solbær og lidt skovbund. Den ekstreme elegancen går i den grad igen i smagen, hvor diskret præg af kirsebærbolcher og et let tannisk bid er i perfekt harmoni. Smuk nærmest svævende tyngde. Det er en virkelig god Gigondas i min bog. Vinhuset Santa Duc oplever jeg bare blive bedre og bedre med årene. Jeg er vild med den super elegante og letdrikkelige stil.

Deep ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, candied flowers, cola and exotic spices. Seamless, broad and sweet in the mouth, offering lush black raspberry, cherry compote and licorice flavors and a suave floral pastille quality. Gains power and spiciness with air and finishes extremely long and focused, featuring clinging sweetness and youthful tannic grip. - Josh Raynolds

The 2016 Gigondas Aux Lieux Dits had been blended at the time of my visit, but not yet bottled. It looks reassuringly close to how I remember it from last year, with pronounced garrigue notes joined by hints of licorice and blackberries. It's full-bodied, creamy textured and supple, with a long, velvety finish. - Joe Czerwinski

Understated nose but wonderfully ripe raspberry fruit on the palate with a sophisticated, feathered tannic feel and loads of length on the finish. Not the most complex wine as of yet, but has the substance and fruit quality to age well. - Richard Hemming

No surprise, the 2015 Gigondas Aux Lieux Dits is the most approachable of the 2015s, as it had already been fined and blended when I sampled it. It was aged 90% in foudres and 10% in terra-cotta. Bright cherries and raspberries carry attractive hints of ground spices in this medium to full-bodied wine. It does still have a bit of chewy tannin to resolve. - Joe Czerwinski

Ruby-red. Ripe red fruit and floral pastille aromas show very good detail and an energizing suggestion of white pepper. Palate-caressing raspberry and bitter cherry flavors blend depth and energy with a smooth hand and show no rough edges. Fine-grained tannins lend shape to a very long, red-fruit-dominated finish that features a subtle touch of star anise. - Josh Raynolds

Mørk, animalsk duft med sødmefuld dybde, modne blommer og søde krydderier. Trods en bred frugtsødme er vinen holdt oppe af en fin syre og godt rundede tanniner. Smagen er kompleks, først og fremmest præget af blå blommer, sveske, sort peber og lakrids. En meget madvenlig vin, der også har godt af at få noget luft

Gigondas er et godt bud til julemaden da vinene herfra ofte besidder det krydrede og alkoholtunge som står godt til julemaden. Denne som et godt eksempel. Intense krydrede toner i duften. Brombær, lakrids, peber, tobak, timian og vanilje i smagen. Flot balanceret og de 15% er velintegreret. En flot rhone vin.

Næsen oser af stald, peber og moden frugt, der får tænderne til at løbe i vand. I munden virker vinen fed, smagen er flot med en god balance mellem frugtsødme og frisk syre samt markante tanniner og strejf af pibetobak og sort peber