2019 Domaine Notre Dame des Pallieres Gigondas Les Mourres Rhone

When asked about their winemaking methods, Claude Roux and his cousin Jean-Pierre smile and explain that they are simply following the traditional methods of the family members that came before them.

Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières is their family estate that goes back generations. But before they owned the estate, it's said that the Virgin Mary appeared by the water source on the edge of the property and protected people from a plague in the Middle Ages. The chapel on the site where she is said to have appeared is named Gigondas, and that’s where this blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre takes its name from. 

Gigondas is also the name of the appellation where the wine is produced, and it’s more likely the favorable grape growing conditions of the region have something to do with how excellent the wine is. Many of Rhône’s top producers choose to make their wines in Gigondas. In 2019, they had an impressive vintage to work with, and some truly legendary wines came from the Southern Rhone that year. 

The grapes for the Gigondas wine are grown in the Les Mourres cru of the appellation, in the shadows of the famed Dentelles mountains in Provence. The vines are old, struggling to gain nourishment from the subsoil of limestone gravel. Struggling for grapevines is beneficial, and the result is a classic Rhône blend that’s plummy, leathery, peppery, and downright sexy. 

This is a wine that respected critic Jeb Dunnuck came right and said “I love it” when he reviewed it. That type of declaration doesn’t happen often.

Aging: Aged in concrete vats.

Tasting Notes: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. An aromatic bouquet and great complexity with notes of very ripe fruits such as blackberry and cherry, wrapped by an elegant folded key.  Perfectly balanced, both concentrated and delicate, on jammy fruit and spices. The finish is long, extending on straight tannins.