Domaine Gardiés Clos des Vignes Côtes du Roussillon 2020
A rich and opulent blend with notes of black cherry, layered with fig and spice. Beautiful balance on the palate sees ripe tannins underpinned by mineral freshness through to a deliciously long finish.
The Domaine Gardiés vineyards nestle in the foothills of Corbières. The vines are grown in the old plots on the Génégals,in caly-limestone soil, located on the heights of Vingrau. This is where the 75-year old red vines flourish and produce low yields of 25hl/ha of concentrated juice. The climate is Mediterranean, the hot, arid summers encouraging the vines to struggle and send their roots deep into the soil in search of nutrients, resulting in complex wines. The region is characterised by the eight different types of wind that blow across the wine growing area and, one day out of three, the mighty Tramontane, a dominating northerly wind, sweeps through the region. These drying winds help keep vineyards in healthy condition, reducing the need for pest control or other human intervention. Domaine Gardiés is certified organic, the vines are hand-harvested and biodiversity in the vineyard is encouraged.
The grapes underwent traditional vinification, with maceration taking place in concrete tanks to gently extract the fruit flavours, colour and fine, elegant tannins. Fermentation took place with wild yeasts, the wine underwent light, daily punching down of the cap to ensure the desired level of extraction. The vinification time lasted for 20 to 25 days. The wine was aged for 12 months in 600 litre French oak barrels.
| RRP | £32.75 |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14% |
| Country | France |
| Region | Roussillon |
| Subregion | Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel |
| Grapes | Grenache Noir 70%, Carignan 30% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 0.9 |
| Body | C |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | Yes |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Situated at the foot of the Pyrenees in the village of Tautavel, Domaine Gardiés has been a family vineyard for eight generations. Jean Gardiés took over the property from his father in the late 1990s, and subsequently crafted his own cuvées from their naturally low-yielding vines. He now works alongside his son, Victor, together they passionately cultivate their 35-hectare estate vineyard, which sits across two terraces based on clay-limestone and black slate soils in Vingrau and Tautavel – two of the finest villages of the Côtes de Roussillon. In 1990, they purchased Mas Las Cabes, a 15- hectare estate on the Espira de l’Agly terroir. All the vines are certified organic and are cultivated with the utmost respect for the rugged and wild nature of the Roussillon region. Understanding and nurturing the soils is at the heart of the Gardiés philosophy, and as a result, they produce delicate wines which are expressive of the terroir and are characterised by complexity, depth, structure and elegance.
