External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2012
2011
2010
2009
2007
2006
2005
2004
2000
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.1 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 18 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Zweder on 12/31/2023 & rated 91 points: Beautiful wine at the end of its maturity stage. Much more vital than the Souteyrades from the same domain. Beautiful garrigue and acidity, but it is wise to drink this wine soon. (488 views) | | | Tasted by Vandelaar on 6/4/2023 & rated 92 points: Last bottle. Looks aged, like balsamic vinegar with brownish notes on the rim.
The nose gives ripe cherries, plums, a bit stewed, spiced smoke, garique and a damped forest.
Intense palate with again the stewed southern Rhone fuits such as fig, dates and ripe sweet prunes and rosehip. Black tea, laurel, salmiak and smoke, but less spiced than on the nose. long finish. This wine may sounds as jammy & heavy but all is far from that with good acidity to keeps things fresh and even masking the 15% easily.
A very pleasant & complex Gigondas and a textbook example of where one can evolve to with patience.. It has some years left in the tank so no hurry. (334 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 6/4/2023 & rated 92 points: Still a beautiful wine with a lot of garrigue and good acidity. The wine is at its peak; don’t wait many more years. (632 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 4/11/2022 & rated 92 points: A lot of garrigue, licorice and vanilla in the bouquet. Same on the palate, a bit rustic, earth, autumn impressions and lush dark berries. Beautiful and juicy acidity. Lovely wine and ready now. (843 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 1/25/2022 & rated 94 points: Beautiful bouquet with garrigue, sweet berry fruits and some smoke. On the palate very juicy fruits, loads of garrigue again, a slight touch of pleasant sweetness and delicious acidity. At its perfect peak now. I have two more bottles and I am looking forward to those. This wine is a small feast now! 93 - 94 (1419 views) | | | Tasted by booksmiths on 6/30/2021 & rated 90 points: Decanted two hours. No sediment.
Very nice but can still improve for another year or two. (1090 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 6/20/2021 & rated 90 points: Some development noticeable in the wine. Still red and black berries and a firm amount of sweet herbs and spices. Pleasant acidity and mild tannin. Ready now. (1156 views) | | | Tasted by Vandelaar on 10/25/2020 & rated 92 points: Time for Gigondas again! Wine in development but clearly primary notes are still present. Thick mix of red and black fruits with a move towards dried/cooked fruits. dried fig and prune come to mind. Joined by tertiary notes from the forest area, tobacco and eucalyptus.
after the wine opened up the alcohol level gets noticeable and gives it some heat. Not really disturbing but more a point for improvement. a Lovely wine with years left to it. (1057 views) | | | Tasted by srh on 6/6/2020: Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
≈75 min decant into a plastic, cylindrical pitcher which was then closed; NO visible sediment; Private Preserve after Day 1
N: Leather slightly atop earth/minerals with notes of garrigue, poss spice
P: LM body; Nice, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which slowly works its way into & through the LONG, ult reasonably pleasant finish with ALMOST a puckery tanginess to the fairly unoffensive, slightly dusty, yet fine, tannins. Approachable now, might improve for 6-9 mos, then drink through its 10th. Went well with the night's Grilled Lamb Chops (Montreal Seas). My VG+/EXC-
// Day 2: Aromas/flavors ≈ Day 1, holding acceptably, but trending towards the lower of my VG+/EXC-, suffering in comparison to a freshly opened 13% ABV Nuits-Saint Georges form the "Les Charbonnieres" lieu-dit. (1314 views) | | | Tasted by Vandelaar on 5/26/2019 & rated 91 points: Cork on the nose unfortunately..overwhelmed the underlying fruits a bit. but nevertheles went for it: Luxurious thick fruits, mouth coating, a touch ripe but never out of balance. Some herbs and garrique, smooth tannines and medium long finish. Cork was slightly noticable on the palate but far less annoying than on the nose. Few bottels left for a proper rematch�� (1000 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 5/10/2019 & rated 90 points: Beautiful bouquet, a bit rustic, red berries, garrigue and a touch of smoke. On the palate red berries, some dark berries, green herbs, fresh acidity and slightly sticky tannin. Long finish. Nice wine in its young maturity stage. (942 views) | | | Tasted by burgbob on 4/25/2018 & rated 90 points: A bit young and showing more terroir than fruit but there is a balance and complexity that should emerge further as the wine opens up over the next few years. (1527 views) | | | Tasted by JimTaft on 4/9/2018 & rated 91 points: I agree with Zweder that this wine is young, he suggests 2019 and beyond. Always awesome to visit the source.
At present, this is a high acid wine, delightful ruby in color, with (perhaps) subdued fruits and supportive tannins.
Best with food, this is not a rustic bunch of impenetrable tannins like some Gigondas I have had. In fact, it's unusual, in a good way, seemingly waiting to bloom years from now.
Hold this a year or three if you have it. (1332 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 4/6/2017 & rated 92 points: Winery Visit; Saint-Damien, Gigondas, Rhône, France.: Beautiful bouquet with beautiful dark and red berries, minerals and some smoke. On the palate juicy cherries and dark berries. Good fresh acidity, slightly sticky tannin. Good concentration and length. Elegant and feminine wine. Still youthful. I bought a few, so there will be follow ups, probably from 2019 onwards. 91 - 92+ (2764 views) | | | Tasted by WindTree on 3/28/2017 & rated 89 points: Nice wine with good typicity. I do prefer the La Signadora (2239 views) |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, 2014 Gigondas Charms While 2015 Stuns (Sep 2017) (9/1/2017)
(Domaine Saint-damien Gigondas La Louisiane Vieilles Vignes Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, 2014 and 2013 Gigondas: Wines to Drink, Not Hold (May 2016) (5/1/2016)
(Domaine Saint-damien Gigondas La Louisiane Vieilles Vignes) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/17/2015)
(St-Damien, La Louisiane Gigondas Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Domaine Saint-Damien Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
St. Damien was an Early Christian saint (martyred in the year 287 A.D.), considered the patron saint of doctors. There was a chapel to his honour in the tiny hamlet of La Baumette, just outside the village of Gigondas, where Joel Saurel, the owner of the domaine, lives. The name Saint Damien for the domaine was introduced in 1979. Four generations have worked on this family estate since 1821. In 2013 Romain joined his father on the estate. The estate has been certified organic since 2012.2014 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes La LouisianeTypically, 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 5% balance of Cinsault & Syrah, from a single parcel of Grenache planted in 1942, Mourvèdre planted in 1977, & Cinsault planted in 1951. Vinification with maceration for 5-6 weeks in concrete vats. Regular & pumping. Aged in 50hL foudre for 12 mos. Bottled unfiltered & unfined.
“St. Damien was an Early Christian saint (martyred in the year 287 A.D.), considered the patron saint of doctors. There was a chapel to his honour in the tiny hamlet of La Baumette, just outside the village of Gigondas, where Joel Saurel, the owner of the domaine, lives. The name Saint Damien for the domaine was introduced in 1979. Four generations have worked on this family estate since 1821. In 2013 Romain joined his father on the estate. The estate has been certified organic since 2012.”
92 pts ea Vinous (Raynolds, 9/1/17) & Tim Atkin (12/1/16),
16/20 (cask) Jancis Robinson, and
3*(*)/5 (barrel) drinkrhone.com.
Red Rhone Blend Read about the different grapes used to produce red and white Rhone wines
On CellarTracker, Red Rhone Blend is the term for a wine consisting of two or more of the traditional 13 Southern Rhone grape varieties. Typically it's the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault grapes, but can also contain the Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan or Vaccarese grapes.
A 'food' wine. Lacking pretension and intended for local consumption with local cuisine. Lacks the 'high' notes on a Bordeaux, more earthy and sharper so often a better partner to meat dishes with a sauce. Vieilles Vignes Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes (Wikipedia)France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comRhône Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Rhone Valley The Rhône Valley/Le Vins de la Vallée du Rhône (Comité Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes et vallée du Rhône)
### Wine Scholar Guild's Rhône valley vintage charts & ratings ###Southern Rhône Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Southern Rhone Valley
Gigondas Gigondas: La Vinaltude
The lieux dits on weinlagen-info |
|
