2024 Saint Damien Gigondas Les Souteyrades Organic, Rhone Valley

Coming from more clay soils and aged 12 months in foudre, the 2024 Gigondas Les Souteyrades is one of the biggest, richest wines in the vintage. Ripe blackberries and mulberries intermixed with pepper, garrigue, and Provençal spices all emerge from the glass. It's medium to full-bodied, round, mouthfilling, and textured, with beautiful overall balance and length. I'd happily be a buyer.

92-94 points, Jeb Dunnuck January 2026

Domaine Saint Damien is one of the names that has helped push Gigondas firmly into the spotlight. The Saurel family has farmed here for generations, with Joël Saurel transforming the domaine from the late 1970s and his son Romain now carrying the estate forward. Les Souteyrades is one of their most compelling cuvées, built around old vine Grenache and Mourvèdre and farmed organically, with the rugged Dentelles de Montmirail providing the dramatic backdrop.

The Souteyrades vineyard lies on limestone rich soils with clay and rocky scree, where old vines and the mistral help produce small, concentrated berries. Grenache supplies the warm red and black fruit, while Mourvèdre brings darker spice, savoury depth and structure. Saint Damien keeps the élevage traditional, favouring large old oak rather than dressing the wine in new wood, so the herbs, fruit and earthy Gigondas character remain at the centre.

Deep ruby garnet, the bouquet rolls through blackberry, black cherry and raspberry before lavender, dried thyme and rosemary appear. Black olive, liquorice, cracked pepper, smoked meat and a little warm earth add a distinctly Provençal savouriness. The palate is generous but beautifully shaped, with ripe dark fruit wrapped in firm, grainy tannins. Mourvèdre brings an earthy, meaty undertow before pepper, herbs and liquorice carry the wine into a long, warming finish.

At the table, lamb shoulder with anchovy and rosemary would be superb, alongside merguez with harissa and couscous, smoky beef short ribs, duck with lentils or charred eggplant with tahini and pomegranate. Our pick is the merguez. Chilli, cumin and smoky lamb alongside all that Grenache fruit, Mourvèdre spice and wild herbs is Gigondas territory through and through.

Cellaring: Drink now with a good decant or cellar to 2038.