It’s fairly rare for nature to exceed winemakers’ expectations two years in a row, but this was the case in the Rhone Valley with the 2015 and 2016 vintages. Almost as if 2016 had taken the previous vintage as a yardstick and then attempt to surpass it and reach out for perfection. With a mild winter, a wet spring and a hot summer, 2016 was moderate from a meteorological point of view.

But this moderation proved to be the perfect catalyst for slow and steady ripening of the grapes which were rich, juicy and highly aromatic when they were harvested. The origin of their immense quality lay in the maturity of the skins and pips, source of tannins, but above all in their extraordinary levels of acidity which gave elegance and delicacy to the wines. Bottled at the beginning of Autumn, the wines of this vintage are distinctive for their richness and remarkable longevity.

Aux Lieux-Dits 2016
A feisty wine, with full, intense aromas overflowing with delectable fruit and exotic spices, and a soaring, crunchy acidity in the mouth that carries this rich, juicy wine to its absolutely magnificent finish. Exuberant and intense, it respires the minerality of the terroir, enveloped in the generosity of the Mediterranean vineyards.

Clos Derrière Vieille 2016
The mineral, lightly smoky nose is especially captivating for its bewitching bouquet of ripe fruit and cherry blossom. Mineral, vibrant and energetic in the mouth, this wine sets its course resolutely towards an almost infinite finish. Its saline, suave character and its floral aromatic register nuanced with green tea and fresh fruit, offer an exquisite surprise for the taste-buds.

Les Hautes Garrigues 2016
Filled with the same energy that seems to inhabit the other wines of Gigondas in this vintage, this wine emphasizes its Mediterranean origins with great poise. Offering a sumptuous expression of aromas from scrubland herbs, through orchard fruit to a market stall of exotic spices, the palate is nevertheless focussed on elegance and purity of architecture, structured by tight tannins.