Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières Gigondas Rosé

WHY WE LOVE IT

• Gigondas rosé wine represents only a very small part of total production (about 1%) but it deserves our full attention for its remarkable roundness on the palate.
• Think Tavel, but cooler and more unique!

Varietal Composition: 33% Grenache, 33% Mourvedre, 33% Cinsault

Elaboration: The manually harvested grapes are put into the vat after ginning and as soon as the pink color comes (from 12 to 24 hours), the must is drawn off, the wine is cold (14 °) for 15 days, the mud is decanted by racking, then bottled, no malo.

Tasting Notes: This wine has a very nice fuchsia color, with blue and shiny highlights. The nose is intense, marked by notes of fresh red fruits, gooseberry, raspberry, mixed with notes of citrus. The palate is full-bodied, with lots of flesh and sweetness, notes of red fruits and candies with great persistence in the finish.

PRESS

2014 – 90 Vinous

ABOUT THE WINERY

Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières is a very old family estate, whose name comes from a place of pilgrimage visited by the Provençal people in the middle ages who believed that the fountain on the property would protect them from the plague.

Claude Roux and his cousin Jean-Pierre have so many generations of Gigondas wine making experience in their family that they don’t know exactly how many of their relatives have been involved up to now – Antique writings suggest that this Domain existed in the 900’s.  Fortunately this tradition is continuing with Claude’s children, Isabelle and Julien, gradually taking over the day to day responsibilities of farming, production, and administration.

Vineyard holdings total 74 acres in Gigondas, Sablet, and Cotes du Rhone.

When asked about their methods they smile and explain that they are simply following the traditional methods of the family members that came before them.