2021 Gigondas

Domaine Raspail-Ay is a historic and benchmark estate, that owns 18 hectares in Gigondas. The domaine has often made wines that are in the upper tier of the appellation in certain vintages. But it has really been solidifying its position in the top drawer only in recent vintages. That can be directly attributed to the 1998 arrival of Christophe and Anne-Sophie Ay to work with their hugely respected and influential father, Dominique. In the past, I occasionally found the wine (only one bottling made here, plus a tiny amount of fascinating pink Gigondas) to show distinct earthiness and, sometimes, more tannic structure than I would like. No more. Today’s wines are more consistent and polished, but they are in no way modern. The fruit is de-stemmed, and only concrete vats, 600-liter oak casks and large, neutral foudres are used here. The wine is bottled with no fining and a light, delicate filtration. It’s always nice to see an icon live up to its reputation.