Grape(s): Grenache, Marselan
Location: Vin de Pays de la Principaute d'Orange, Rhone Valley, France
Tasting Notes: Deep ruby with a purple edge. Warm kirsch and black plum on the nose, with garrigue, black pepper and a stone-dust note. Full-bodied but with fine, chalky tannin, and a long finish of dried herbs and licorice.
Notes: A declassified cuvee from a Gigondas estate, drawn from younger vines and released as Vin de Pays rather than under the village appellation. Fermented and aged in concrete and old oak, so the fruit stays forward and the structure stays gentle.
Food Pairing: Grilled lamb, braised short ribs, sausages, roasted eggplant, and any aged sheep's milk cheese.
Winery Story: Domaine Saint Damien sits in Gigondas, in the southern Rhone, where the Saurel family has farmed these limestone and clay terraces for generations. The wines are consistently dense and savory, true to the village's power, but never overworked.
