Winemaker Notes
Domaine La Garrigue recalls quintessential Provence: rugged, beautiful landscapes and honest, unpretentious people. The Bernard family, proprietors of both Domaine La Garrigue and the excellent restaurant "Les Florets" in Gigondas, are a generous, honest, and hardy lot. It comes as no surprise that their wines reflect their nature and character offering some of the most affordable and pleasurable drinking in Provence.
Domaine La Garrigue takes its name from the wild herbe de Provence and ground cover of Provence called Garrigue, a familiar scent often captured in their bottlings. The estate's excellent Cotes du Rhone, labeled "Cuvee Romaine" is named after the myriad of Roman artifacts that were excavated by archeologists on the property in the late 1970's and the early 1980's. Cuvee Romaine is a custom cuvee for Eric Solomon Selections made by famed Rhone oenologist, Philippe Cambie.
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.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.