Domaine Santa Duc: An estate at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail

The partner domain we will be addressing in this article is the Santa duc estate. I'll explain its history with key dates, as well as details of the cuvées. At the end of this article, we hope to have answered any questions you may have about this field. You can also discover our available stocks on the site. Domaine Santa Duc's finest allocations and vintages from the estate: 

> Domaine Santa Duc from the estate

History of the estate

• 1874 : The year of the first buildings, in which six generations came to work together on this estate that has been known since Gallo-Roman times for its characterful red wines. Grape varieties such as Grenache, MourvèdreSyrah and Cinsault are the noble grape varieties that the Family is keen to promote.

 

• 1985 : Yves Gras takes over management from his father Edmond, bringing a new international touch to the estate's wines, which are enriched by abundant ripe fruit, wild herbs and great length. According to Robert Parker  " Santa Duc combines the muscle, richness and fire of a Gigondas classic, with a degree of elegance and purity lacking in many wines of this appellation.  ". During 2005, the book "Les plus large domains in the world" by the same author, published by Simon & Co. Chuster discusses the unique character of this estate's wines. The vintage  "The High Garrigues " from one of the region's finest vineyards becomes the star cuvée. It lets the expression immediately of the terroir of the Garrigueas well as a minerality from soil clayey incredibly stony. Yves Gras obtains magnificent plots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the Crau area.
• Visit 1994As a new project, Yves decided to showcase the Clos Derrière Vieillewhich has long been forgotten. Benjamin Grashis son, who took over the reins of the estate, decided to continue with the same philosophy: selections massalesBiodynamic cultivation, whole harvest, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention, bottling without filtration... The important thing for him is to highlight the qualities, splendor and beauty of these wines.

 

The great wines of Santa Duc

In this article, we'll introduce you to some superb wines produced by the property de Santa duc. Most of these wines are in stock on our site. We are fortunate to have allocations each year from the estate. Keep up to date with latest arrivals from Santa duc estate on the site. You can even create an email alert in your Comptoir des Millésimes customer account! This way, you'll be the first to know when Santa Duc wine arrivals. Here are the finest vintages:

 

• Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues - Domaine Santa Duc :

It is located on the plots of land planted only on the locality of Les Hautes Garrigues on the Gigondas. It covers an area of 2.8 hectares. The site is underlain by red clay-rich sands with limestone pebbles. It is organically farmed. The blend is composed of 50 % Grenache and 50 % Mourvèdre. The vines are 75 years old. The grapes are harvested by hand and aged for 18 months in 36 hectoliter oak foudres and 8 hectoliter terracotta jars. Bottling is carried out without fining or filtration. The wines produced in this area are serious and deepdominated by spicesnotes regulated and fleshy tannins that give them extraordinary longevity.

 

• Châteauneuf du pape Les Saintes Vierges - Domaine Santa Duc :

It is a historic l'appellation, they feel an attachment to this terroir. The plot is located at Les Saintes Vierges, to the east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The surface area is 1.2 hectares. The floors are made of sands raw, very quartzose, rich in micas and shell fragments from Miocene Safre. The terroir is farmed organically and Demeter-certified biodynamically.  The blend consists of Grenache 80 %, Mourvèdre 10 %, Counoise 10 %. The average age of the vines is 70 years, harvested by hand and aged in the spring. Aged for 18 months in 36 hectolitre oak foudres and 8 hectolitre terracotta jars. This cuvée reflects the harmony, delicate floral notes and spicy flavors of a wine marked by a tannic structure that reflects the place.

• Gigondas Clos Derrière Vieille - Domaine Santa Duc :

Purchased by the Gras family in 1994, this cuvée is now almost abandoned. Thanks to hard work and dedication, the terraces have been rebuilt and enhanced. It is located only in the Clos Derrière Vieille area on the hillsides of Gigondas. This vineyard, located on the NorthwestIt is surrounded by 7 hectares of woodland, adding a touch of freshness and biodiversity. The surface area is 3.2 hectares with soils of grey marl from the Cretaceousvery rich in limestone, allowing deep rooting. The assembly consists of : Grenache 80%Mourvèdre 10 %, Syrah 10 %. The average age of the vines is 40 years, with manual harvesting and spring ageing. This cuvée expresses itself with an airy bouquet of tart fruit and delicate floral notes. Mineral freshness and subtly serrated tannins confirm the high proportion of limestone in the marl. Gustatively, it shows nature's ability to associate a wine with its origins.

• Châteauneuf du pape Habemus Papam - Domaine Santa Duc:

It's a pontifical wine that seeks its strength and assurance in different areas of the appellation, with each of the lieux-dits contributing its stone to the edifice. The plots are located exclusively in the Le Pradel and La Font du Pape, respectively to the east and center of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a surface area of 2.9 hectares. Soils are rich sandy-clay on the surface and very calcareous on the surface subsoils with the presence of rolled pebbles. The assembly consists of : Grenache 70%Syrah 30 % and age average of the vines is 60 years. This cuvée offers a humid environment favorable to Syrahs, or rather Serines, which give their freshness and crispness to the region's major grape varieties.

 

• Gigondas Aux Lieux Dits - Domaine Santa Duc :

This cuvée reflects the very image of the vineyard's success at Gigondas : it source its character in the variety of eight different lieux-dits revealing four Rhône grape varieties. Each of the localities brings its own complementary contribution to the edifice. These plots are planted in the commune of Gigondas in 8 different localities that give this cuvée its name. The surface area is 7 hectares with sands rich in red clays loaded with limestone pebbles on the localities: the Hautes Garrigues, the Carbonnièresthe RocassièresRoads. The assembly consists of : Grenache 75 %, Mourvèdre 13 %, Syrah 10 %, Cinsault 2 %, and the average age of the vines is 40 years. The personality of this cuvée is marked by fruit and noble plant essences in its youth, and continues towards a slow evolution of spicy notes over several years of cellaring.

 

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> Domaine Santa Duc official website