Domaine Santa Duc - Les Hautes Garrigues 2016

This magnificent 2016 vintage displays beautiful finesse and ripe berries, with aromas of licorice, tobacco, and precious woods on the nose. The palate is slightly animal-like and lively, brimming with energy, and the finish—with notes of leather—is pleasant and lingering.

Benjamin Gras is following in the footsteps of his father, Yves, and, with the same talent, is crafting a range of deep and elegant single-vineyard wines, in which the purity of the fruit reflects a true obsession. A refined style, in which the wines sacrifice a bit of richness and concentration in favor of a very pure delicacy. In both Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wines have a distinctive style that will leave no one indifferent.

Notes of flowering garrigue, black cherries, and licorice come through in this 2016 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues. Full-bodied, rich, velvety, and intense without being overpowering, it is a superb wine with the balance, grace, and charm of the ballet-dancing hippopotamus from Disney’s *Fantasia*. And the finish is long—really long.

Yves Gras took the reins of this iconic Gigondas estate in 1985. He established a full-bodied, rich style—one that was nonetheless refined—and the estate immediately gained international recognition. Several projects enhanced the estate: the restoration of Clos Derrière Vieille in 1994; and the acquisition of prime terroirs in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2009: Saintes Pierres, La Crau Ouest, Le Pied de Baud, Les Pradel, and La Font du Pape. In 2017, the arrival of Benjamin, the son, brought new energy and a shift in style. The wines still display the same character and power, but now possess more nuanced textures. They offer a palate with a well-rounded power and more graceful tactile sensations. The oak influences are also better integrated. The estate practices biodynamic viticulture; winemaking is carried out using indigenous yeasts; whole-cluster fermentation is used in some cases; and the wines are not filtered before bottling. The uniqueness of each cuvée led us to award the estate its first star upon its inclusion in the guide.