The Clos Derrière Vieille was in a sorry state when it was acquired by the Gras family in 1994. Through the strength of conviction and hard labour, the terraces were restored and given new life. The parcels are all within the Clos Derrière Vieille on the slopes of Gigondas. Behind the former Hospices and the village church, this Monopole takes its name from it: behind the old town. At 350 metres of altitude, the vineyard is planted on long, narrow terraces that follow the lie of the land and its limestone rocks. Facing north-west, the vines are surrounded by 7 hectares of woodland, bringing freshness and biodiversity.

92pts Vinous
Like the Aux Lieux-Dits and Les Hautes Garrigues, the 2021 Gigondas Clos Derrière Vieille was fermented entirely with whole clusters. At the moment, the resulting stemmy funkiness dominates the aromatic profile. After a few minutes in the glass, delicate orange blossom, redcurrant, raspberry and licorice elements paint a more complex picture. Grippy tannins need two more years in bottle to soften but lend good structure to this refined and concentrated 2021 Gigondas. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2036 - By Nicolas Greinacher on August 2023

94-96pts Vinous
Dark ruby. Highly perfumed, spice- and mineral-accented red and dark berry, exotic spice, vanilla and potpourri scents show fine detail and a touch of smokiness. It's sappy, sweet and penetrating on the palate. Vibrant raspberry, cherry preserve, five-spice powder and floral pastille flavors are complemented by hints of licorice and espresso that build on the back half. Smooth and seamless in texture, this shows outstanding finishing clarity, polished tannins and a floral-driven persistence. Raised in Stockinger foudres and amphoras. - By Josh Raynolds on January 2023

Yves Gras deserves full credit for pushing Domaine Santa Duc, his family’s property, into the upper tier of Gigondas, and the Southern Rhône, starting in the mid-1980s. Gras' son, Benjamin, assumed control of the domaine’s 26 hectares of vines and winemaking in 2017, pushing quality even higher. Benjamin Gras arrived at the domaine following graduating from the University of Dijon and stages at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Vega Sicilia. The sixth generation to run the estate, Benjamin Gras is a restless experimenter in the cellar. Today, he makes ample use of Stockinger foudres and clay amphoras for all of his wines. In the case of the Gigondas bottlings, the result is wines of markedly greater finesse than those of his father, which could be bruisers and sometimes excessively oaked. This winery must be counted among the handful of great producers in Gigondas.

91-93pts Wine Advocate
All whole-cluster Grenache, the 2021 Gigondas Clos Derriere Vieille offers up fragrant aromas of roses, raspberries and cherries. It's medium to full-bodied, then accents silky tannins with its crisp acids and finishes long. Drink Date: 2023 - 2030

Benjamin Gras described the 2021 vintage as "unusual, but good." According to Gras, the frost only impacted lower-lying vineyards, but what followed was a cool, cloudy summer that necessitated seven or eight treatments of the vines, then came 200 millimeters of rain in September.

One key development at this family-run estate is preparing to introduce a Gigondas Blanc to the lineup. A portion of the property's highest terrace, located at 350 meters above sea level, has been over-grafted to white varieties (90% Clairette and 10% Bourboulenc). It will be interesting to follow that wine going forward, as Gras already makes a successful white from those varieties in Roaix, fermenting and aging the wine in a mix of demi-muids and amphorae. "It [Clairette] is a floral variety, not a fruity one," said Gras. "I'm a big fan of that."

While Benjamin's father, Yves Gras, may still be spotted prowling around the property, his preference for bold, sometimes hulking wines has been completely replaced by his son's pursuit of lower alcohols and elegance. In 2021, admittedly a cool year, Benjamin says his reds will all be labeled at 13.5% alcohol.

Benjamin provided a quick window into how his wines have evolved by sharing a bottle of the domaine's 2017 Gigondas Clos Derrière Vieille, a wine I have now had the chance to try on four separate occasions. As on previous tastings, it's silky and elegant, yet still youthful, capable of aging through 2035—a solid 93-point wine. As my notes were very similar to the last published review (in October 2020), I've not bothered to rereview the wine formally, but I simply mention this to reassure any consumers who might be concerned about how the new generation's wines might evolve.

Surface Area: 3.2 hectares.

Geology: Soils of grey marl from the Cretaceous period, very rich in limestone, which allow for the deep rooting of the vines. The marl plays an important role as a hydric reserve and source of minerals and trace elements.

Method of Cultivation: Ecocert-certified organic and Demeter-certified biodynamic.

Grape Varieties: Grenache 80%, Mourvèdre 10%, Syrah 10%. Each variety was planted taking into account the intrinsic characteristics of each terrace: the Syrah on those with the most moisture, the Mourvèdre on the stoniest and the Grenache on the intermediate zones.

Age of Vines: Average 42 years.

Harvest & Vinification: The grapes are hand-picked into crates and sorted manually in the vineyard before a second, table sorting in the cellar. A proportion is destemmed, the quantity being determined by the nature of the vintage and the parcel, and the grapes are fed by gravity into the vats to ensure the integrity of the berries. Fermentation takes place in thermo-regulated stainless-steel vats for 20 to 30 days, with two long pumping over sessions daily. Punching down is decided after tasting. Pressed pneumatically. Malolactic fermentation in vat. The wines are clarified by settling over winter in the cellar. Barrel filling occurs in the spring.

Ageing: 18 months in 36-hectoliter oak Stockinger foudres, and 8-hectoliter terracotta amphorae. Unfined and unfiltered at bottling.

Rhone

Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Clos Derriere Vieille 2021

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