Not yet bottled, the 2022 Lirac is 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 10% each of Syrah and Cinsault that saw a splash of stems and is still resting all in foudre. Ripe black cherries, black licorice, and peppery, savory herb notes all define the aromatics,...
St. Damien was an early Christian saint martyred in the year 287 A.D.. Later he was considered the patron saint of doctors. There was a chapel dedicated to his honor in the tiny hamlet of La Baumette, just outside the village of Gigondas, where Joel Saurel lives. M. Saurel's predecessors took the name Saint Damien for the domaine. Domaine St. Damien's cuvées of Gigondas have become the reference for classic full-bodied yet fine Gigondas, with consistent and high scores for every vintage. Almost as popular as their high-scoring Gigondas cuvées, are the Côtes-du-Rhône bottlings, considered for their intense concentration and tremendous value. Harvests are later and yields are low. Joel's son, Romain is becoming more and more involved in the winemaking.
-Importer notes (Weygandt)
A more Syrah-dominated release, the 2020 Languedoc Puech Noble has a beautiful bouquet of red and blue fruits as well as violets, spring flowers, and peppery herbs. With medium-bodied richness on the palate, it has a good sense of purity and elegance, fin...
Leading off the reds from bottle, classic red and black fruits, spice, roasted herbs, and loamy earth all define the 2022 Côte Rôtie Ampodium. Medium-bodied, supple, and balanced, it has ripe tannins and will drink nicely for 10-15 years. It's a great int...
The 2022 Côte Rôtie Le Vallière comes from a tiny half-hectare of vines in the great lieu-dit in the northern part of the appellation. Black raspberries, spring flowers, violets, and an obvious sense of rocky minerality define the aromatics, and it's medi...
More complex as well as elegant, the 2017 Languedoc Puech Noble offers lots of blackberries, kirsch, ground herbs, graphite, and sappy flower aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, textured, and beautifully balanced.
Saturated ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of ripe dark berries, cherry, olive and pungent flowers are sharpened by a suggestion of black pepper. Supple and appealingly sweet, offering concentrated black raspberry, cherry-cola and violet pastille flavors a...