Domaine Les Pallières Gigondas Terrasse du Diable 2017

90% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Clairette. Dark red robe, this refined bottle of Les Pallières Terrasse du Diable is expressive with its floral, rose and cherry notes. There is a savoury, tarry and mineral edge in the mouth. With its polished tannins, it finishes with an impressive freshness and effortless depth and density.

Tips: For those of you who can’t wait, open the Terrasse du Diable a good two to three hours before serving. Notes of black olive, licorice, mint, rosemary will fill the room once uncorked.

The terraces in the most northernly reaches of the appellation, in the lieux-dits of Poncet, Thomas, Le Pallières and Terrasse du Diable. This selection comes from parcels at an altitude of 250-400m. Most are small isolated plots surrounded by woodland. The vineyard has been built mainly into single-row terraces to cope with the very steep slopes. The soil, which is partly covered by limestone rock slides from the Dentelles de Montmirail hill range, is very shallow and sits on a highly compact layer of red clay.

The grapes are hand-picked with double sorting at the vine, then a third sort in the winery. Gentle crushing and selective destemming, followed by 25-30 days traditional fermentation in temperature-controlled concrete and wood vats. Pneumatic pressing, then systematic malolactic fermentation. Muturation then occurs for 20 months in French oak foudres, bottled unrefined and unfiltered, then released at 2 years.