The village of Gigondas, in the Rhone River valley, is in the Dentelles de Montmirail Mountains. The village traces its roots back to the Romans. Its original name was Jocunditas meaning great pleasure in Latin as the town was founded as a place of respite for the Roman Legion. Gigondas characterized historically as a poor man’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape, however this description doesn’t fit today. Over the last 10 years many Gigondas producers out score many more famous Chateauneuf producers. Santa duc is one fo them, and is considered on of the best producers in the Southern Rhone Valley. Allocations are tiny, so get in quick!

"Bright violet. Spice- and floral-accented aromas of black raspberry, boysenberry and candied licorice, along with a smoky mineral element that builds in the glass. Alluringly sweet and pliant in the mouth, offering intense red and blue fruit and lavender pastille flavors that are given spine by a core of juicy acidity. Closes extremely long, with emphatic, spicy cut, harmonious tannins and lingering florality" Josh Raynolds, Vinous

"Flowering garrigue, black cherries and licorice all pop on the nose of the 2016 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and intense without being overbearing, it's a tremendous effort, with the poise, grace and charm of Disney's Fantasia ballet-dancing hippo. And the finish is long—really long" RobertParker.com

"Beautifully fresh, earthy aromas of wild herbs, undergrowth, dark berries and chocolate. The palate has deep-set, smooth and juicy tannins. Long and layered, this is a commanding, elegant Gigondas. Barrel sample" James Suckling

"Firmly tannic on the palate, compact fruit without much expressiveness on the nose or the palate. Fine-grained and superbly balanced between tannin and acid, but there's not much flavour complexity at this stage" Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine

"Always the richest, most powerful wine in the lineup, the 2016 Gigondas Hautes Garrigues offers a rocking bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, bouquet garni, pepper, and fresh earth. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and with building tannins, it’s certainly a more fresh, stylish example of this cuvée and is a perfect wine from readers wanting to understand the changes that have happened at this estate over the past decade or so. Give this beauty 2-4 years of bottle age and enjoy it over the following decade" Jeb Dunnuck

"Full red colour. Mourvèdre marks the nose, has a black fruited depth, black olives, smokiness, southern intensity, but no sense of power. It is shapely, offers some mystery. The palate runs hither and thither, a good criss-cross of black stone fruits, fleshy content, bright, minted tannins come in and are nicely savoury, notably tasty. This has good length, is a real Road Runner, keeps going well, waves of fruit and interest. It’s handsome, broad and nourishing, bears liberal juice, has lovely balance. 14.6°" John Livingstone Learmonth

This Gigondas is made from old vines in a very high altitude, single vineyard site. From stony, poor red clay soils from 3 hectares on Hautes Garrigues, yields of 15 hl/ha, from late 2010s 90% destemmed, 5 week vilification at low temperature “to privilege the quality of the fruit and the freshness”, pumping overs, aged 90% 4-10 year oak 36 hl large barrels, 10% 800-litre clay jars (until 2010 was 228-litre oak casks, less oak now sought for extra freshness) 20-24 months, unfiltered, organic crop.

60% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre
60+ year old vine