2023 Saint Damien Gigondas Les Souteyrades Organic, Rhone Valley

The 2023 Gigondas Les Souteyrades is based on 80% Grenache and the rest Mourvèdre. It has a ripe, concentrated, medium to full-bodied style as well as beautiful aromatics of red fruits, peppery garrigue, and spicy, Provençal nuances. It's balanced and has the vintage's fresher, focused, elegant style, good concentration, and integrated tannins.

93-95 points jebdunnuck.com

Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Les Souteyrades is one of the benchmark wines of this southern Rhône appellation, praised for its balance of power, finesse and sense of place. The domaine, run by Joel Saurel and his family, has become synonymous with meticulous farming, old-vine fruit, and traditional winemaking that allows the rugged beauty of Gigondas to shine through.

The Les Souteyrades cuvée comes from a single lieu-dit planted with old-vine Grenache (dating back to 1948) with a touch of Mourvèdre, rooted in clay and limestone soils scattered with the galets roulés that are so characteristic of the Rhône. These conditions yield small, concentrated berries and wines with both richness and freshness.

Fermentation is carried out with native yeasts, followed by élevage in large, neutral oak foudres — a choice that preserves fruit purity and terroir while lending subtle polish. The resulting wine is dense and aromatic, showing ripe blackberry, kirsch and dark plum lifted by notes of garrigue herbs, violet, licorice and cracked pepper. On the palate it is full-bodied and structured, with fine but firm tannins and a long, mineral-edged finish. Despite its intensity, there is always an elegance and poise that marks it apart from heavier southern Rhône reds.

Food pairings play beautifully to its savoury and robust character: think slow-roast lamb with rosemary, beef daube Provençale, venison with juniper and blackberries, or game birds with wild mushrooms. It also pairs wonderfully with hearty vegetarian dishes like ratatouille or lentils braised with herbs and root vegetables.

The wine is built to age gracefully. While it can be enjoyed young for its vibrancy and spice, Les Souteyrades is at its best after 8–15 years in bottle, when it develops layers of leather, tobacco, truffle and earth while holding onto its core of fruit.