Gigondas

          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. 

LOCATION : 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.

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 40 years.

HARVESTING & 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.

PERSONALITY : The wines from this terroir have diaphanous aromas of bright fruit and delicate floral notes. They offer a mineral freshness and lacy tannins that bear witness to the high proportion of limestone present in the marl. An exquisite gustatory experience that offers a clear demonstration of the power of nature to link a wine to its place of origin.