Alcohol: 15,5%
Grape(s): Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault
Localization: Southern Rhône, France
Tasting Notes: Some vanilla notes on the nose from oak aging; tannic and full-bodied with a powerful expression of Grenache. Suppleness, spices, and red fruits are brought by Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault. The long finish is reminiscent of fleshy dense fruits.
Notes: 50% in concrete vat and 50% in demi-muid (6 hl French oak barrel) during 14 months. Malolactic fermentation in a demi-muid and concrete vat. One bâtonnage* a month.
92 points Decanter: Lovely nose, lavender, and plum, really transports you to the place. This is rounded and soft with acidity that is fairly low. Succulent and deeply fruited with loads of soft, pliant, massy fruit tannin – it’s quite saturated. Very much of its vintage and also of its place.
Food pairing: Enjoy beef or pork dishes, BBQ, and hearty cheeses.
The Domain: A former Parisian fireman, and now the mayor of Gigondas (no joke!), Eric Ughetto took over the family’s vineyards in the early 1990s. Later, his wife, Sophie, joined him and they made their first estate wine with the 2000 harvest. A small estate with only 15 hectares (a little over 35 acres), it is operated almost entirely by this husband and wife team. They do the vineyard work together, but have clear lines elsewhere: Eric makes the wine, and Sophie runs the commercial aspects. Simon, their young son, is already being groomed to start the process of taking the reigns from his pioneering parents.
It’s no surprise here, just like in any serious estate, that Eric and Sophie stress the importance of their vineyards over all else. Domaine is consciously run without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or herbicides. Since their beginning, they have utilized organic methods and are now certified.
The Southern Rhône region is one of France’s most warm Mediterranean climates, and home to the infamous wine region, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. While Châteauneuf garners attention for their powerful and expressive wines led by the noble Grenache grape, there are other villages that are oftentimes more charming and far less commercial, such as Domaine La Roubine’s home towns, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Seguret, and Sablet. These three appellations, on the north side of the famous limestone cliffs, the “Dentelles de Montmirail,” are known for powerful and friendly wines of structure with high-toned, regional wild herbs of Provence aromas, referred to as “garrigue.” The soils of these three areas have a complex geological history with interesting microclimates that are often not well understood. Most of these wines are drunk in their youth, but extended time aging in the cellar is what gives true definition and magic to the wines of the Southern Rhône.
