Santa Duc Clos Derrière Vieille Gigondas

Clos Derrière Vieille ist ein 300 Meter hoch gelegener Weingarten oberhalb
des Dorfes Gigondas. Fast reinsortig
Grenache von uralten Reben, wenig Syrah und Mourvèdre. In der Nase eine Tour de
Force aus reifen Kirschen, Brombeere, Provencekräutern, Eukalyptus, Süßholz und
Bitterschokolade. Extrem dicht und konzentriert, aber auch geschliffen und fein
wie ein Burgunder. Druckvoll und mineralisch am Gaumen, geschmeidig und fast süß
im langen Nachklang. Weltklasse-Wein aus einem der besten Keller der Region!  

Robert Parker´s THE WINE ADVOCATE: 93-95 Punkte (August 2019 Fassprobe)

Gigondas-Legende Yves Gras hat gemeinsam mit seinem Sohn Benjamin den
Jahrgang 2016 bravourös gemeistert, wie kaum ein anderer Betrieb an der
südlichen Rhône. Die Umstellung auf biodynamischen Weinbau trägt ganz einfach
Früchte und führt zu perfekt balancierten Weinen, die mit allen großen Gewächsen
der gesamten Rhône mühelos konkurrieren können. Santa Duc-Weine haben enorm an
Eleganz, Klarheit und Aromareichtum zugelegt. Die internationale Weinkritik
überschlägt sich förmlich und gibt reihenweise Höchstwertungen. Brillante
Weltklasse-Weine aus dem der legendären Traditionsbetriebe in Gigondas!

Robert Parker´s THE WINE ADVOCATE: "While the other 2017s include 30% to 40%
whole clusters, the cooler, later-picked 2017 Gigondas Clos Derriere Vieille
includes 60% whole clusters. Rose petal, pomegranate and cherry notes abound,
carried on a full-bodied but silky palate that's fine and elegant but
concentrated and intense, with plenty of length on the finish.
It's no
exaggeration to say that well-traveled Benjamin Gras is crafting some of the
most elegant and soulful wines in the Southern Rhône. It's a sea change from the
intense, powerful and sometimes oaky wines made by his father. Yet Yves Gras
seems pleased by his son's change in direction and he's often around the winery,
pouring the wines for visitors and thoroughly enjoying himself while doing so.
The young Gras kept more whole bunches than normal in 2017 to balance the ripe
fruit, while he destemmed everything in 2018 and used a longer maceration to
extract a bit more. The wines are made in a battery of tronconic stainless steel
vats and stay there over the winter, then get transferred to foudres, barrels or
amphorae in March for élevage. As a result of this extended maturation, the
2017s and 2018s were both still yet to be bottled at the time of my June visit.
The wave of mildew that washed over the Southern Rhône meant that crop yields
were down approximately 30% to 40% across the board (similar in scope to the
effects of coulure and drought in 2017), but it completely devastated the
old-vine Grenache in La Crau Ouest, so there is no 2018 from that normally
spectacular lieu-dit. Instead, this year, for the first time in memory, I tasted
a white wine here. As it has yet to be named, I've not put a formal note to it,
but it's a 100% Clairette Vin de France (grown in Roaix) aging in a stoneware
amphora. Worth a try if you happen to come across it at a realistic price."