Description
Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, two of the Southern Rhône’s most famous appellations, sit a short 25km distance apart on France's southern coast. While they undeniably share similar qualities -- sun-soaked Mediterranean character, dark developed fruit, and garrigue -- they express themselves in entirely different ways.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is famously rich, broad, and powerful, with a supple, sometimes heady texture that allows it to age beautifully. The caveat? You have to have the patience to let it age, often for at least a decade, before your favorite Châteauneuf starts to even approach its window of drinkability.
Gigondas by contrast lies in the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail, where vineyards climb to higher, cooler elevations on limestone and marl soils, meaning wines that are fresher, more structured, and deeply mineral, with redder fruit, floral notes, and vibrant tension. Think of Gigondas as Châteauneuf’s mountain cousin: a little leaner and more energetic, while still demonstrating impressive depth and character. And the best part? No need to hide these in the back of your cellar for too long.
If Gigondas is best characterized by its more youthful, vibrant energy, it's no surprise that Adrien Roustan has carved out a name for himself in the region. Having started Domaine d'Ourea in 2010 in his early twenties, he's a bit of an enfant prodige. Roustan took over 18 hectares of high elevation, old-vine material from his grandparents, converted it quickly to organic (and now, biodynamic) farming, and adopted a style that leans towards purity, tension, minerality, and freshness. He ferments and ages in concrete tanks rather than the more traditional large format oak, a choice he says allows him to preserve terroir expression.
The 2020 Domaine d’Ouréa Gigondas captures the elegance and vitality of high-altitude Gigondas in one of the most classic vintages in recent memory. A typical blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault it shows a nuanced balance of ripe red and black fruit -- think Morello cherry, blackberry, and blood orange zest -- wrapped in notes of mountain herbs, black olive, and wet river stone. Pure, energetic, and vibrant, with fine-grained tannins and a long, mineral-driven finish that hums with freshness, this is a Southern Rhône stunner that's drinking beautifully now (but make no mistake, this will hold up well for another decade at least).
We usually sell this wine for $45 per bottle. But as one of our import partners nears retirement, we scooped up the last of what he had in stock at a special price. Now, the 2020 Domaine d'Ourea Gigondas is only $35/bottle on bottle 1, $28/bottle on 6, and $21/bottle on the case. That's over 50% off regular retail pricing!