2017 Saint Damien Côtes du Rhône Plan de Dieu V.V. Organic, Rhône Valley

Domaine Saint-Damien is run by Joel and Amie Saurel.  The Saurel family had been tending vineyards for four generations, dating back to 1821, and until recently selling all of the grapes to negociants. In 1996 Joel resumed producing wine at the estate and in 1998 they brought on consulting winemaker Philippe Cambie. Vinification is classic with wines being made in large old cement tanks and aged in either the tanks or Large old foudres for the Gigondas.

Today the estate is comprised of 42 acres of vineyards of which 30 are in Gigondas.  The vines are an average age of 50 years and are very low yielding. The wines of Gigondas are bottled according to individual terroir (particularly soil type) known as the Saint Damien Trilogy

Proprietor Joel Saurel, backed up by the inimtable Philippe Cambie as his consultant, has transformed this estate into one of the greatest in Gigondas, rivalling the two top producers, Yves Gras' Santa Duc and Louis Barruol's Saint Cosme.

Robert Parker

80% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 5% Mourvèdre This wine is sourced from the lower terraced parcels of the Plan de Dieu lieu-dit, in the commune of Violès. The Grenache and Carignan vines are over 60 years old and the Mourvèdre 30 years. The wine is fermented for 30 days in concrete vats before 8 months of aging (again in concrete). The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, the 2017 Cotes du Rhone Villages Plan de Dieu Vieilles Vignes looks even better than the 2016. Garrigue, violets and licorice notes mark the black cherry fruit as something far beyond ordinary. Impressive. 

91-93 points The Wine Advocate Sept 2018