Gigondas: Domaine Saint Gayan 'Fontmaria' 2015
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"Glistening ruby-red. Cherry and red berry liqueur, incense, vanilla and licorice scents are lifted by smoky mineral and floral notes. Sappy, sweet and seamless on the palate, offering impressively concentrated yet vibrant red and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and a hint of mocha. Displays outstanding clarity and emphatic red fruit thrust on the strikingly long finish, which is framed by smooth tannins and supported by a spine of juicy acidity. Aged for one year in new oak barrels, followed by another year in neutral casks. Drink 2027 to 2037. 95/100"
Josh Raynolds - Vinous.com
Jean-Pierre Meffre and son-in-law Jean-Yves Carré de Lusançay make this single-vineyard Gigondas from 40 year-old vines from a tiny 2-hectare site with a limestone-clay base covered in decomposed limestone pebbles. 80% Grenache Noir from low-yielding vines (average 30 hectolitres per hectare), it is a gloriously rich and concentrated wine. Only a small amount is made in the best vintages and it has the stuffing to last a decade, possibly two or more.
| Style | Red Wine, Sec, Full-bodied, Non Sparkling |
|---|---|
| Wine Region | Rhône, Gigondas |
| Grape Variety (Cépage) | Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah |
| Food & Wine Matching | Beef, Lamb, Mushrooms |
| Viticulture | Non-Organic |
| Vintage | 2015 |
| Cellarage | This wine should cellar well for 10 to 15+ years from vintage. |
| Vinification | Hand-harvested fruit has a long maceration before fermentation and is matured for 12 months in new oak casks followed by a further year in neutral fûts. |
| Alcohol By Volume (%) | 15 |
Domaine Saint Gayan (Jean-Pierre Meffre)
The Meffres have been vignerons at Gigondas since the 17th Century and have played a key role in the success of the appellation. Roger Meffre (Jean-Pierre's father) was president of the Syndicat des Vignerons de Gigondas and was instrumental in winning Appellation Contrôllée status for Gigondas in 1971 and changing the law regarding the wine's Grenache content (raised from a maximum of 65% to 85% in 1985).
The 34 hectare Domaine Saint Gayan holds 12 hectares in their home village of Gigondas and is now run largely by Jean-Pierre and Martine's daughter Julie and her husband and winemaker Christian Yves Carré de Lusançay. It is one of the commune's finest estates and likely to release wines at their leisure, when ready to drink. Large oak barrels are mainly used for maturation though a number of clay amphorae have recently been installed. Whole-bunch fermentation is de rigeur.
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