2009 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas La Louisiane Vieilles Vignes

From a terraced, hillside plot call La Louisiane, the 2009 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas La Louisiane is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, and the balance Cinsault and Syrah. Aged for 12 months in foudre, it displays a pretty, gorgeously perfumed bouquet of spiced raspberries, spice box, rolled stone, and crushed flowers. Complex and not holding anything back on the nose, it’s medium to full-bodied on the palate and beautifully polished and put together, possessing good acidity, a rich, full texture, and notable freshness. More perfumed and upfront than the Les Souteyrades, this should be approachable earlier, but still drink well for 10-12 or more years.

The 2009 Gigondas La Louisiane, which is the most powerful of these wines at 15.3% alcohol, comes from 60-year-old vines and is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and the rest tiny percentages of Cinsault and Syrah. Deep ruby/purple with a sensational nose of crushed rock/wet steel interwoven with blueberry liqueur, sweet black currants and black cherries, incense, and forest flora, it seems to be both powerful and elegant at the same time, with stunning purity, texture, and length, but it never comes across as heavy despite the rather lofty alcohol. This wine should drink beautifully for 10-15 years. (Not yet released) Proprietor Joel Saurel, backed up by the inimitable Philippe Cambie as his consultant, has transformed this estate into one of the greatest in Gigondas, rivaling the two top producers, Yves Gras’ Santa Duc and Louis Barruol’s Saint Cosme. This estate made mind-boggling 2007s, and has followed that up with top-flight 2009s. The two value wines are nearly as good as their more expensive cuvees of Gigondas, which tells you just how impressive this estate is. In the top vintages, Saurel’s practice is to produce three cuvees of Gigondas. In 2009, these all tip the scales between 14.9 and 15.3% natural alcohol. They are made from very low yields of 20 to 25 hectoliters per hectare, and are aged for at least a year in old wood foudres before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. All of Saurel’s vineyards are in their second year of biodynamic farming, for those who consider that an issue. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800