Gigondas
by Anthony Lynch
2023 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
France | Southern Rhône
Just when you think you’ve seen it all in wine, life throws another curveball. In the spring of 2023, the herd of goats residing at Les Pallières broke free and ravaged the vineyards, feasting on tender young buds, to the horror of the overseeing Brunier family. Needless to say, those goats are no longer with us (fear not—they have been relocated, not turned into a delicious stew). This unfortunate incident, paired with a poor flowering of ancient Grenache vines, resulted in a record-low yield at Pallières, so all the remaining fruit—most of it from the high-lying Terrasse du Diable—was blended into a single bottling.
I have never tasted a Pallières quite like this. Its perfume leaps from the glass, conveying alpine herbs and fragrant, juicy red fruit. The palate is supple and inviting, with a gourmandise I have yet to encounter in a young Pallières. Its expressiveness at this early stage and incredibly gentle tannin make it the vintage to enjoy now while more powerful years like 2021 and 2022 mature at a leisurely pace. The 2023 is truly a vintage like no other, from the bizarre start to the season to the unusual delicacy we find in the bottle today.
2024 Gigondas
France | Southern Rhône
At Domaine de Durban, the Leydier family’s vineyards sit high atop pine-covered hills, perched over the expansive Rhône Valley. While most of their holdings are in the Beaumes-de-Venise appellation, they also farm a few hectares just over the border into neighboring Gigondas. The remarkable elevation and high limestone content of the rocky soils make their Gigondas stand apart from the rest, characterized by crunchy wild fruit and mouthwatering salinity. The Leydiers emphasize these traits by aging it only in concrete and releasing it early, capturing a vigorous energy we are not accustomed to tasting in this great appellation. Its firm calcareous backbone means it will age well, but it has a dynamic freshness that makes it so satisfying to uncork in its tender youth.
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