Domaine Raspail-Ay - Gigondas 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Dominique Ay is Gigondas’s “wise elder” in the noblest sense of the word. A distinguished president of the appellation for many years, he is one of the leading figures of the Southern Rhône. With his deep understanding of Grenache, he brings out the full character of the clay-limestone soils of the Parties terroir. The aging process then takes on its full meaning, as the wines are refined in large casks for a minimum of 24 months. His children have now taken up the torch, with Anne-Sophie in charge of sales and Christophe overseeing the winery and vineyard—no small feat! With a timeless style, the estate’s sole wine is known for its longevity. Very powerful and structured, even firm in its youth, it develops a silky texture and perfect balance. The 2016, tasted straight from the tank, should produce a truly exceptional bottle…

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2022 Gigondas from Domaine Raspail-Ay offers a deep and complex bouquet of ripe cherries, flowers, dark wild berries, and peonies, intertwined with subtle woody notes. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, dense, and concentrated, it features a rich core of fruit framed by structured tannins and a long, delicately peppery finish. This exceptional and highly mineral Gigondas is composed of 70% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre. The Grenache and Mourvèdre were aged in large oak casks, while the Syrah was aged in used barrels and large oak casks.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

The estate’s wine is the quintessential example of a fine Gigondas: full-bodied, robust, and unpretentious. With a firm, dense structure, the best vintages require four to five years of aging to fully open up. From that point on, they develop a beautiful complexity over time and continue to improve for ten to twenty years.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

This wine exudes understated elegance, with a subtle reductive note gracefully lifting to reveal a vibrant core of pure red fruit, savory umami, and delicate hints of lavender and violet. It is finely balanced, offering harmony and terroir without excess. Already very enjoyable to drink today, it is nevertheless sufficiently structured to age gracefully until 2030 and beyond.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

Very dense on the nose—ripe red fruits, blackberry, and licorice. The palate is ripe and round, with sweet black fruits, firm tannins, concentrated acidity, and a hint of herbaceous notes. Both flavorful and smooth!

Vinous

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The 2022 Gigondas reminds me a bit of the 1990 vintage. It has a fragrant, elegant, and ripe profile, with abundant aromas and flavors of sweet red fruits, resinous garrigue, and sandalwood, as well as floral notes that emerge over time in the glass. Medium-bodied and balanced, both rich and elegant, it should benefit from a few years of bottle aging and can be enjoyed for over 15 years.