The warm region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is known for making dense, rich and deeply satisfying red wines. Within its 5 communes there are a myriad of soils which can contribute to the specific style. The region is famous for its galets roulés, which are large round stones seen sitting atop many of the vineyards. It is also host to various types of clay, limestone and sand. This particular wine comes from the lieu-dit (named location) of Pignan. This lieu-dit has mostly sandy soils, with a small amount of clay and pebbles, creating wines with a very soft texture, but highly complex with very concentrated fruit. The area has been made famous by Chateau Rayas, located in Pignan, who many consider to be the best producer of Grenache in the world.

La Bastide Saint Dominique is a producer in the Southern Rhone Valley who began making wine in the 70's. They make numerous different wines from the region, but the star of the line up is their Secrets de Pignan, which comes from a small parcel of 90 year old Grenache vines within the region. The old vines are hand harvested and the grapes are destemmed. Fermentation occurs at cool temperatures, then it is pressed into large tanks for about 18 months of maturing. The resulting wine is amazingly dense and pure. 

The color of this wine is very dark and concentrated with perfumed aromatics of kirsch liqueur, blackberry compote, wild herbs, and dried flowers. The palate is rich with sweet fruit flavors of ripe black cherry, strawberries, underbrush and lavender. This wine has the ability to age another decade, but it will be at its best over the next 5 years. The wines of this region are higher in alcohol, so drinking them at the proper temperature is key to finding balance. I personally enjoy this style of wine at about 65 degrees. If you like rich, complex wines of character, then this is a wine for you.