Domaine Santa Duc : Aux Lieux-Dits 2021

Tasting characteristics and advice for the Gigondas "Aux Lieux-Dits" 2021 from Domaine Santa Duc

Tasting

Appearance

The appearance reveals an intense ruby-red color with violet highlights, reflecting the wine’s youth and concentration.

Nose

The nose opens on a complex bouquet of ripe red fruits, notably raspberry and wild strawberry, alongside floral notes of rose and peony. Aromas of dried herbs evoking thyme and garrigue mingle with spicy touches of white pepper and licorice. With aeration, nuances of incense and dried lavender enrich the aromatic palette.

Palate

On the palate, this wine shows a medium to full body, ideally balanced between power and elegance. The silky texture is supported by fine, refined tannins that provide structure without astringency. Remarkable freshness runs through the tasting, bringing a lovely vibrancy that balances the generosity of the fruit. Red-fruit flavors linger into a surprisingly long finish marked by mineral, floral, and spicy notes, with delicate, tightly knit tannins.

Food and wine pairings

This Gigondas pairs perfectly with herb-roasted lamb with Herbes de Provence, a wild mushroom risotto, or game such as wild boar or roe deer. It also goes very well with duck confit, braised beef dishes, or aged cheeses such as Comté or Manchego.

Serving and cellaring

The Gigondas "Aux Lieux-Dits" 2021 can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve until around 2035, developing spicier notes over time. It is best served at a temperature between 16 and 18°C.

A refined, well-balanced Gigondas from the Rhône Valley

The estate

Founded in 1874, Domaine Santa Duc is one of the leading benchmarks of the Gigondas appellation in the southern Rhône Valley. It cultivates around 30 hectares of vines spread across several prestigious appellations. Yves Gras, who took the helm in 1985, turned the estate into a pioneer of organic viticulture in the region. Since 2017, his son Benjamin Gras has managed the property and took it a step further by obtaining Demeter biodynamic certification in 2016. The estate is internationally recognized for wines that combine power and elegance, expressing with purity the exceptional terroirs of Gigondas. Benjamin has also invested in new gravity-flow facilities and terracotta amphorae to further refine the quality of the winemaking.

The vineyard

The Gigondas "Aux Lieux-Dits" comes from eight distinct plots located on the Gigondas plateau, at altitudes between 120 and 150 meters. These lieux-dits offer a remarkable diversity of soils: red clays rich in limestone with pebbles, marls from colluvial formations, as well as finer materials composed of gray rounded pebbles, clays, and sands. This geological mosaic brings complexity and balance to the final wine. The vines, averaging 40 years of age, benefit from the protective influence of the Dentelles de Montmirail that dominate the landscape. The vineyard is managed under certified biodynamic farming, with hand harvesting and rigorous grape selection.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in the southern Rhône Valley was defined by moderate conditions, without excessive heat or drought. This year made it possible to reach optimal phenolic ripeness and sugar concentration while preserving beautiful freshness. Wines from the 2021 vintage stand out for their balance, their early approachability, and their remarkable aging potential, offering a classic, refined expression of the terroirs.

Winemaking and aging

After hand harvesting with double sorting, the grapes for the Gigondas "Aux Lieux-Dits" 2021 are cooled to 18°C to start fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Winemaking is carried out with 75 to 100% whole clusters in tanks of no more than six tons, allowing precise temperature control kept below 25°C. Maceration lasts between 20 and 30 days with twice-daily pump-overs, without punch-downs. The blend is made before aging, which takes place over 18 months in a combination of 36-hectoliter oak foudres from Stockinger cooperage and 8-hectoliter terracotta amphorae made by Arte Nova. The wine is bottled without filtration or fining.

Grape varieties

Grenache (75%), Mourvèdre (13%), Syrah (10%), Cinsault (2%)