I once spent time with an Australian winemaker who was fond of saying “Grenache delivers what Pinot promises.” I wrote it off as friendly Aussie ribbing at the time, but when we tasted Domaine du Terme’s 2018 Gigondas, that leaped to the forefront of my mind.

Grenache’s silken, bramble-fruited lusciousness was there—accompanied with a splash of Syrah pepper and spice—but it hummed along my palate with serious limestone-derived verve and lift. Thanks to the decades of experience shared by Terme owners Anne-Marie Gaudin and her father Rolland, this is as classy, lushly textured, and precise as Southern Rhône Grenache gets. But fear not, lovers of Châteauneuf, there’s plenty of liqueured opulence, too! So how is it just $34? Because Domaine du Terme isn’t a household name here in the states, and probably never will be: Barely 20% of their production is sold outside of Europe, and a small fraction of that makes it to the US. Now’s your chance to grab some of the few bottles of this seductive Rhône knockout that made it stateside!

Gigondas often gets pitched as a kind of “Châteauneuf-du-Pape Lite” largely because (1) both appellations deal in Grenache-based blends, (2) they are and only a few miles apart, and (3) Gigondas took several more decades to earn its coveted AOC status. But make no mistake, Gigondas is a distinguished terroir in its own right. The vineyards here cling to the limestone-based slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain range as compared to Châteauneuf’s heavier alluvial soils. And because the vines sit as much as 700 meters higher than those in CdP, the sites here are buffeted more intensely by the famous cooling Mistral winds. The result is a loftier, higher-toned, more savory Grenache blend that nonetheless thrums with the rounded power Châteauneuf is famous for.

But terroir, of course, means little if there isn’t a skilled hand ready to capture it. Enter Anne-Marie and Rolland Gaudin. The Gaudins have made wine since 1870, and in the vineyard little has changed. Anne-Marie farms organically but has foregone any certification; as she sees it, farming without synthetic chemicals is simply common sense. The family now farms over 25 hectares across four appellations, but Gigondas is their home (Rolland served as mayor for over a decade!) and their vineyards here average 50+ years in age. 

The Gaudins make their wine, too, with the sort of calm confidence that comes with generations of winemaking. Fruit is almost entirely de-stemmed before being fermented spontaneously in concrete. Aging takes place in neutral barrels for a year, followed by 18 months in vat, meaning this bottle will always land on your table with nearly three years of age. 

Domaine du Terme’s 2018 Gigondas is 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah and pours a deep ruby with purple highlights. The nose reveals opulent cherry liqueur, raspberry syrup, brambly boysenberry, and candied violet, backed up by more savory peppercorn, anise, and garrigue tones. The palate is luscious and caresses with ripeness and polish that’s countered with freshness and cut. That balancing act is increasingly hard to pull off in the Southern Rhône these days, but the Gaudins make it look easy. In its bright perfume combined with earthy filigree, this feels like a perfect bridge between “Old World” and “New World.” Serve it slightly chilled at 60 degrees, in Burgundy bowls, to really allow the aromatics to develop and you too will be telling everyone how much Grenache delivers!