Wine of the Week: 2007 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas \’Les Racines\’
The sun-bleached landscape of Gigondas in France\’s southern Rhone has always been one of my favorite haunts. I love the wines too, especially the Gigondas from the venerable Domaine les Pallières. But when Frédéric and Daniel Brunier of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape property Vieux Télégraphe and wine importer Kermit Lynch took over the estate in 1998, under the guidance of these Rhone experts the estate\’s wines went up a notch or two.
Made from the oldest vines on the estate, the 2007 bottling \ »Les Racines\ » is dense and inky, with a powerful perfume of wild herbs and berries that leads you back to the glass again and again. Each sip reveals something new — a hint of licorice, the taste of raspberries or black cherries. Yet for all its power, this blend of Grenache with a small proportion of Syrah, Cinsault and Clairette is remarkably supple and lush. Drink it with rich, juicy grilled meats, spicy barbecued ribs, a classic beef daube or duck breast.
If you can\’t find \ »Les Racines,\ » look for the other cuvée \ »Les Terrasse du Diable,\ » which may be more available. Either one is terrific.