When Antonin Faravel began planting vineyards in 1963, he chose the most forbidding terroir in Gigondas—directly into the limestone cliffs of the Dentelles de Montmirail, at elevations over 1,000 feet. After three decades working at the legendary Domaine Pierre Amadieu, Antonin knew something his neighbors didn't: in the warm south, altitude is so important to keep freshness in wine.

Today, with ever-warmer vintages making most Southern Rhône wines taste ever-jammier, we look to Bouïssiere for refinement. These high-altitude sites hit the bullseye with shimmering, fresh fruit that keeps you coming back to the glass.

Today, Antonin's sons Thierry and Gilles border on the fanatical when it comes to vineyard health. Their 55-year-old vines—73% Grenache and 27% Syrah—grow in thin, rocky topsoil over solid limestone. The winemaking respects this mountain terroir: partial destemming (61%), indigenous yeast fermentation in cement tanks, aging in a combination of cement (35%) and older foudres (65%). Everything moves by gravity. Nothing is fined or filtered. The result is wine that quietly evokes the rugged, sensual beauty of Provence.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

• Pure Grenache Pleasure: This deep ruby wine explodes with cherry liqueur, wild blackberries, crushed raspberries, and violets, all shot through with sandalwood, aniseed, garrigue, and baked earth. It's powerful, elegant, hard to resist.
  

• The original high-altitude Gigondas: While others scrambled to follow Antonin's lead, Bouïssière remains the benchmark for elegant, age-worthy Gigondas from the Dentelles de Montmirail's limestone cliffs.
  

• Châteauneuf quality without the inflation: Many of the defining characteristics that make Bouïssière's wines premier standouts are in this bottle—for less than $40.
  

• Built to age: With those mountain-grown tannins and natural acidity, this will evolve beautifully for 10 years. Buy a case, drink half now, and enjoy the evolution of the rest.

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Stunning now through 2035. The wine's structure and concentration mean it will reward patience, developing additional complexity over the next decade.
  

• Serve at 60-62°F in Bordeaux stems to appreciate the full aromatic spectrum. Decant for 30-45 minutes.
  

• Pair with lamb tagine with spicy merguez sausages, or any hearty Provençal cuisine.