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2011 Gigondas “Les Racines”
Domaine Les Pallières
On a cold January morning, I stood in the Racines vineyard after a tasting at Domaine Les Pallières. Daniel Brunier, co-proprietor at Pallières, was explaining the significance of the soil types and the old-vine Grenache that make this vineyard so unique. There’s nothing like a vigneron’s words to help with your understanding of wine. Daniel said the 2011 crop was tiny, but the overall quality was outstanding. The 2011 Les Racines has a deep core of dark berry fruits, notes of licorice, or réglisse, and a concentrated texture that conveys power with silkiness. If you’re searching for greatness in Gigondas, here’s where to find it.
**Extremely limited quantities, maximum four bottles per purchase**
—Steve Waters
| Wine Type: | red |
| Vintage: | 2011 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah & Cinsault, 5% Clairette |
| Appellation: | Gigondas |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Southern Rhône |
| Producer: | Les Pallières |
| Winemaker: | Daniel & Frédéric Brunier |
| Vineyard: | 15 ha, Vineyards are situated on stepped, terraced land from the lieu-dit, Les Pallières, located around the winery and cellars (at 250 meters in altitude) |
| Soil: | Red sandy clay, limestone scree |
| Aging: | Wine ages in cuves for 10 months, then in foudres for 7-9 months |
| Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
| Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Les Pallières
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch