2018 Gigondas

Domaine du Cayron, a historic, family-owned estate, was founded in 1840 selling the fruit until winemaking commenced in 1936. Today, the fifth generation of the family is firmly installed. For decades, Domaine du Cayron has been one of the most consistent producers in Gigondas, with a superb quality-to-price ratio. The single bottling is a Gigondas sourced from the Faraud sisters’ 16 hectares of vines, planted in the foothills of the appellation's prime Dentelles de Montmirail sector. This is an unapologetically traditional expression of the appellation. The wines are fermented in large, subterranean concrete vats and then raised in large, oval, neutral oak foudres that impart no wood impact whatsoever. Since they age reliably and gracefully, readers can cellar any of these current releases with complete confidence.

The ultra-traditional wines that the Faraud sisters, Delphine, Roseline and Cendrine, produce at their family’s domaine are among the most classically proportioned, elegant and complex of the appellation. They also age effortlessly, as extensive research has proven to me. A single, unadorned wine is made here, and it is raised exclusively in large concrete vats and old oak foudres. The value that it delivers is truly amazing given its consistently high quality, which places it among the finest wines not just of Gigondas but of France.