Domaine les Pallieres Gigondas Terraces Du Diable 2016

  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
4.0 Very Good (21)
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Domaine les Pallieres  Gigondas Terraces Du Diable 2016  Front Bottle Shot
Domaine les Pallieres  Gigondas Terraces Du Diable 2016  Front Bottle Shot Domaine les Pallieres  Gigondas Terraces Du Diable 2016  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2016

Size
750ML

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

The “Terrasse du Diable” cuvée has the minerality, freshness and sometimes overbearing tannins of high-lying terroirs. The best vintages can age for more than 20 years.

This selection comes from parcels at an altitude of 250-400 metres. Most are small, isolated plots surrounded by woodland. the domaine consists of a single 334-acre estate comprising 62 acres of vineyards and 272 acres of pine and oak. Grapes from about 40% of the plantings go into the “Terrasse du Diable” blend. the vineyard has been built mainly into single-row terraces, to cope with the very steep slopes. The soil, which is partly covered by limestone rock slides from the Dentelles de Montmirail hill range, is very shallow and sits on a highly compact layer of red clay. The higher you go, the greater the proportion of scree.

Blend: 90% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Clairette.

Professional Ratings

  • 95
    Wild, garrigue herbs and dark berries in a fresh style with violets and dried roses. There’s a savory, tarry, salt-licorice edge in the mouth. Moody wine. Silky, lozenge-like, glossy and polished tannins. Dark fruit and dark chocolate with a kick of bitter herbs. Finishes with impressive freshness and effortless depth. Charming. Drink or hold.
  • 95
    The finest vintage to date is unquestionably the 2016 Gigondas Terrasses de Diable, which is the usual blend of 85% Grenache and the balance Mourvèdre and Cinsault. It offers classic framboise, limestone-like minerality, white flowers, pepper, and Asian spices in its full-bodied, seamless, incredibly pure personality. With no hard edges, ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a great finish, it's a sensational Gigondas to drink over the coming decade or more.
  • 94
    Tasted prior to its July bottling, the 2016 Gigondas Terrasse du Diable is an outstanding effort. Fine garrigue nuances and piney scents bring depth and complexity to the ripe black cherry and raspberry fruit. Full-bodied, silky, long and elegant, with lingering thyme and savory notes on the finish, it shouldn't be missed.
    Range: 92-94
  • 93
    Ripe and fresh, with good purity to the mix of red currant and damson plum coulis flavors that stretch out against a floral and alder backdrop. Offers a pretty, piercing feel to the finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre and Clairette. Best from 2020 through 2030.

Other Vintages

2015
  • 93 Wine
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2014
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2013
  • 91 Wine &
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  • 90 Wine
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2012
  • 91 Robert
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2011
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
  • 90 Wine
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2010
  • 93 Robert
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2007
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
Domaine les Pallieres

Domaine les Pallieres

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Domaine les Pallieres, France
Domaine les Pallieres The way to Les Pallières Winery Image

Domaine Les Pallières is undeniably one of the greatest, longest-running properties of the Southern Rhône—outside the village of Gigondas, woven into the foothills of the beautiful and brooding Dentelles de Montmirail. The domaine had been a continuously running farm within the same family since the fifteenth century! Les Pallières was once a famous domaine with wines of impeccable character, yet the property had slowly fallen into disrepair. Two great frosts of the twentieth century had killed off many of the olive and fruit trees, and both the winery and the vineyards were badly in need of repairs. By 1998, the Roux brothers wanted to make a change. With no future successors to take their place, they decided to sell.

The Brunier brothers, Daniel and Frédéric, of the famed Vieux Télégraphe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, were rising stars in the Southern Rhône at the time, having distinguished themselves time and time again with world class wines. A casual discussion over lunch at Chez Panisse between Daniel and Kermit Lynch, the Brunier’s longtime American importer, spontaneously turned into a game plan to revive the faded jewel—Les Pallières. Though the competition to buy the domaine was fierce with very reputable names in the mix, the Roux brothers finally decided to sell to the Bruniers and Kermit. After decades of neglect, Pallières’ renaissance had begun.

A focus on the terroir and its potential soon led to a clear, new direction. The vineyards range from 250-400 meters in altitude, with varying proportions of sand and clay interwoven with limestone scree descending from the Dentelles. Terraces were built and reinforced, allowing for better water retention. A new winery was built to receive the harvested parcels individually in gravity-fed tanks. The many lieux-dits, once blended into one cuvée of Gigondas, have been separated into two, starting with the 2007 vintage, in an effort to best express two remarkable personalities. Cuvée “Terrasse du Diable,” encompasses the low-yielding vines from the higher altitudes that express great structure and intense minerality. Cuvée “Les Racines” showcases the vineyard parcels surrounding the winery—the origin of the domaine with the oldest vines—with the emphasis on freshness and extravagant cornucopian fruit.

Domaine Les Pallières has become a partnership among friends, a real meeting of the minds—a creative collaboration of three leading, passionate experts on the wines of the Rhône.

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With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.

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Gigondas Wine

Rhone, France

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The Southern Rhône region of Gigondas extends northwest from the notably jagged wall of mountains called the Dentelles di Montmirail, whose highest point climbs to about 2,600 feet. The region and its wines have much in common with the neighboring Chateauneuf-du-Pape except that the vineyards of Gigondas exist at higher elevation and its soils, comprised mainly of crumbled limestone from the Dentelles, often produce a more dense and robust Grenache-based red wine.

The region has a history of fine winemaking, extending back to Roman times. But by the 20th century, Gigondas was merely lumped into the less distinct zone of Côtes du Rhône Villages. However, it was first among these satellite villages to earn its own appellation, which occurred in 1971.

Gigondas reds must be between 50 to 100% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre comprising the bulk of the remainder of the blend. They tend express rustic flavors and aromas of wild blackberry, raspberry, fig, plum, as well as juniper, dried herbs, anise, smoke and river rock. The best are bold but balanced, and finish with impressively sexy and velvety tannins.

The Gigondas appellation also produces rosé but no white wines.

KMT16FPS05_2016 Item# 518191

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