2017 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Clos Derriere Vieille

VIN94-95 Bright ruby-red. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruit, Moroccan spice and potpourri aromas that are enlivened by a vibrant mineral quality that builds as the wine stretches out. Sweet, seamless and expansive in the mouth, offering densely packed raspberry, boysenberry, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that show outstanding clarity and back-end thrust. The mineral and floral notes drive an extremely long, sappy finish, shaped by smooth, polished tannins.
WA93 Primarily Grenache, with the balance a mix of Mourvèdre and Syrah, the 2017 Gigondas Clos Derriere Vieille is dark fruited, with notes of black plums and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it’s notably stemmy in character (60% whole bunches were used), which serves to lighten the overall density and richness of the wine and should turn more floral with time in the bottle. The tannins are silky and the acids crisp, lending great energy to the lengthy finish.
Estate Notes: The Clos Derrière Vieille (behind the old village hospices) is naturally fenced by woods. Slope from 300 to 350 meters of altitude with a northwest exposure. Very slow rippening of the grapes: shadowed on the morning, bathed by the sun until sunset.
Hand picked with a very selective sorting, destemming, short and soft maceration. Soft punching-down. In big casks and terracotta jars, on fine lees during 18 months.