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Domaine La Roubine, Gigondas

Southern Rhône, France 2012 (750mL)
$35.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
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Alcohol
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Domaine La Roubine, Gigondas


The Dentelles de Montmirail, a small mountain adorned with dramatic, saw-toothed limestone ridges from the Jurassic period, dominates the picturesque landscape of Gigondas. This was a strategic barrier since before the Romans enjoyed it as a source of great wine as well as a recreational site. Today, the appellation boasts higher elevation that its neighbor, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which helps to deliver more freshness to the wine as well as a more complex and palpable minerality on the mid-palate. When crafted by the right producer, the Grenache blends from this special pocket of the southern Rhone can be simply mesmerizing. Such is the case with today’s example from Domaine La Roubine.
 
Family owned and operated, Domaine La Roubine is run by Eric Ughetto and his wife, Sophie. Nestled in the foothills of Dentelles de Montmirail, the Domaine’s Gigondas parcel rests 300 meters in elevation and boasts vines that average of 40 years of age. Farmed with organic and biodynamic principles, they are currently awaiting certification. This hand-harvested blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah, is fermented for 45 days in concrete tank with only natural yeast. The wine enjoys daily pump-overs and is matured in 50% concrete and 50% demi-mud French oak over fourteen months with monthly batonnage. The wine is then bottled without fining or filtration, resulting in an incredibly balanced wine that is full of life, rich fruit and texture bound to impress any of your Francophile friends.
 
This wine displays a dark nearly opaque garnet red core with light garnet reflections on the edge of the glass. This beautifully balanced, fragrant nose is driven by dried black cherry, cassis, dried strawberry and a divine aroma of garrigue, which is the combined essence of the wild mountain herbs and flowers in the region. Evoking memories of the enchanting French countryside, the aromatics evolve to include dried black mushroom, white pepper, a hint of dried meat and crushed black stones. The palate is nearly full-bodied with pitch-perfect balance. The wine opens with beautiful rich fruit then reveals an earthy complexity and crushed black rock minerality on the mid-palate, which collectively makes this an ideal pairing partner for food. After an hour in the decanter, serve this wine at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems alongside Cassoulet. For those of you who have never experienced Cassoulet, it is one of the great classic dishes of southern France and will inevitably transport you and your guests to France on one of the coming winter nights.

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Country
France
Region
Southern Rhône
Sub-Region
FranceGigondas
Soil
Clay, Limestone and Gravel
Farming
Organic (uncertified)
Blend
70% Grenache - 15% Mourvèdre - 15% Syrah
Alcohol
14.5
OAK
Neutral French

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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