Description

Benjamin Gras has taken over the reins of this excellent Gigondas estate from his famous father Yves, known as the Duc of Gigondas. Moving all the the vineyards to biodynamic viticulture.

His Lieu-Dits comes from 8 different parcels totalling 7 hectares, the vines average 40 years of age and are a mix of Grenache 75%, Mourvèdre 13%, Syrah 10%, Cinsault 2%. The grapes are hand-picked into crates and sorted manually in the vineyard before a second, table sorting in the cellar.  A proportion is destemmed, the quantity being determined by the nature of the vintage and the parcel, and the grapes are fed by gravity into the vats to ensure the integrity of the berries.  Fermentation takes place in thermo-regulated stainless-steel vats for 20 to 30 days, with two long pumping over sessions daily. Punching down is decided after tasting. Pressed pneumatically. Malolactic fermentation in vat. The wines are clarified by settling over winter in the cellar. Barrel filling occurs in the spring.

AGEING : 18 months in 36-hectoliter oak Stockinger foudres, and 8-hectoliter terracotta amphorae. Unfined and unfiltered at bottling.