2020 Domaine Santa Duc 'Aux Lieux-Dits' Rouge Gigondas

Winemaker Notes: Fruit driven, with fine herbaceous notes in its youth, it generally undergoes a slow evolution towards more spicy notes after several years’ cellaring. This wine reflects all our vineyards in Gigondas. Its character is drawn from eight different places, expressed through four Rhone grape varieties, each one of them bringing its personality and complementarity, contributing to the overall picture.  

A reference-point estate in Gigondas, the Gras family has been pillars of this winemaking community for six generations. Starting in 1985, Santa Duc ascended to prominence under the watch of Yves Gras, who introduced organic farming and expanded its holdings to Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Rasteau. Yves's son Benjamin took over in 2017 and received biodynamic certification in addition to building a new winemaking facility. Working exclusively with indigenous yeast, the wines are aged for 18 months in 36-hectoliter oak Stockinger foudres and eight-hectoliter terracotta amphorae. This estate integrates a thoughtful simplicity to the craft of winemaking that results in beautiful purity of expression in the elegant, focused, and polished wines.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Wine Enthusiast - "Freshly cut Gala apple, green pear, Bing cherries, dried cranberries and black plum mingle with savory aromas of fresh bacon, black olives and rose in the glass. The palate is decadently alluring and perfectly mirrors the pure fruit core with beautiful poise, and lingers well through its long finish. Delicious and enjoyable with a proper decant, but this should benefit from cellaring well through 2030+. Cellar Selection"


Vinous - "Brilliant ruby. Intensely perfumed, mineral- and spice-driven aromas of ripe red and blue fruit and potpourri show sharp definition; suggestions of woodsmoke and incense build in the glass. Shows outstanding depth as well as energy on the palate, offering powerful raspberry, kirsch and floral pastille flavors and a strong note of exotic spices. It finishes with an alluring sweetness and harmonious tannins that lend shape to a wonderfully long, spice- and floral-accented finish. Barrel Sample: 95-96"


James Suckling - "Deep nose of red fruits with subtle aromas of dry earth and spice. Rich and suave on the generous palate where the dense fine tannins are already beautifully integrated. Very long velvety finish which has a remarkably delicacy. A cuvee of eight separate plots on the high plain of Gigondas. About 75% grenache, plus mourvedre and a little bit of syrah and cinsault. 75% whole bunch. Matured in a combination of Stockinger oak foudre and clay amphora. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold. "


Wine Spectator - "This has seamless integration to the rooibos tea, plum cake and crushed cherry flavors, which are all cut through with a smoldering iron underpinning. Plush and silky on the palate, with supple tannins providing the gentle framework to keep this graceful. Closes out with a meaty, mesquite smoke note. "


Jeb Dunnuck - "I was able to taste three wines from Domaine Santa Duc. Starting with the 2020 Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits, which spent 18 months in 36-hectoliter Stockinger foudres, it has a floral, elegant, medium-bodied profile as well as lots of red and blue fruits (there's almost a tropical/passion fruit character), some violet and garrigue notes, fine tannins, and outstanding length. "