2022 Les Pallières
by Jane Augustine
If you didn’t know already, the mighty Domaine Les Pallières in the appellation of Gigondas is the playground of two well-known veterans of Southern red wine—Vieux Télégraphe’s Daniel Brunier and our very own Kermit Lynch. The lieu-dit Les Pallières is a high-elevation vineyard set to the backdrop of a protected forest that surrounds its terraced slopes. Inching up to the scenic property by car, down a winding driveway lined with cypress trees, you may anticipate what lies ahead but can’t be sure until you’re further immersed and you notice a majestic site, tucked a ways back: a rugged hillside punctuated by craggy vines and bordered by a dense woodland. Kermit and Daniel partnered on the property in 1998 after what the French would call a coup de foudre, “a stroke of lightning”—or love at first sight.
Over the years we’ve come to describe the two bottlings, Racines and Terrasse, in relation to one another, noting that the former—made from the oldest vines on the property grown in clay-dominant soil—is the more supple, elegant of the two, while Terrasse, from higher-altitude vines, is the grippy, structured one. But Mother Nature will not be typecast, and the 2022 vintage defies this norm: Racines digs its roots right into your palate; it is vigorous and firm. I wanted to reach for the chewiest saucisson sec I could find for an impromptu apéro (though it wasn’t even noon and I sadly didn’t have any!). Terrasse, on the other hand, is the gentler giant this vintage, polished and (by comparison) easygoing. Both are luminous, coursing with energy, and offer mouthwatering fruit infused with fragrant garrigue.
I decided to uncork these bottles side-by-side on Christmas alongside prime rib and the puffed-up Yorkshire puddings my husband makes every year, a family tradition of his that delights me. I won’t spoil the fun by revealing which cuvée took center stage, as I’m sure you have your own occasions in the new year that are worthy of a friendly Racines-Terrasse showdown. And depending on what you serve, results will differ!
2022 Gigondas “Racines”
France | Southern Rhône
2022 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
France | Southern Rhône
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