Just when you think you have tasted the very best expression nature can offer, along comes another vintage which just leaves you speechless. It happened in 1989 / 90 in Bordeaux and here we are in the Southern Rhone with an exceptional pair of vintages from two legendary families which will keep winelovers entranced and intrigued for many years to come.

We (Vignobles Brunier) cultivate and vinify various expressions of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape terroir – Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe (red and white), Télégramme (red), Piedlong (red), Clos la Roquète (white) – but also Les Pallières in Gigondas (rosé and red), as well as Le Pigeoulet (red and white) and Mégaphone (red) in the foothills of Mont Ventoux. We are wild about Grenache, a grape variety that has found a favourite home in our Provençal countryside.

Since 1998, Frédéric and Daniel Brunier and Kermit Lynch have been tending to the destiny of Domaine Les Pallières, one of Gigondas's oldest estates. "Les Racines" is a parcel selection of the oldest vines (60 years or more) around the main house and the ageing cellars, in the lieu-dit Les Pallières. The Les Pallières domaine consists of a single 334-acre estate comprising 62 acres of vineyards and
272 acres of pine and oak. Grapes from about 60% of the plantings are blended in “Les Racines”.

“Les Racines”, a cuvée made with grapes from the estate’s oldest vines, has the velvet, depth and harmony that defines old grenache when cultivated in refined terroirs. It has very high ageing potential, as balance is the main factor.

The 2016 Gigondas Les Racines was in its foudres at the time of my visit, but I still think it is the equal of the Brunier family's Châteauneufs. Full-bodied and rich but silky and almost lacy in texture, it marries raspberries and apricots with lovely herbal nuances and a lingering finish. It's a tremendous Gigondas, made from 75-year-old vines (80% Grenache). Drink 2019 - 2030.
94-96 Points.

Owned by the Brunier family of Domaine de Vieux Telegraphe and American importer Kermit Lynch, this estate is one of the standard-bearers in Gigondas. The two cuvées, Terrasse de Diable and Les Racines, are standouts in the appellation. Élevage is strictly in foudres, allowing the differences in vine age and site to shine through clearly."
(Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parkers The Wine Advocate, October 2017)