Community Tasting Notes (39) Avg Score: 92.7 points

  • Popped and poured. Was quite surprised to find the wine a little dull and flat. Still obviously full of fruit and yet to shed its tannin in any meaningful way, but not really fun to drink. If I had to rate it - maybe 88 for enjoyment. We put the 1/2 we didn’t drink back in the fridge. Not expecting much the next day but kaboom. Explosive blackberry with lots of backend spices. Extremely enjoyable. 95+ it will continue to get better. Looking through the notes it seems to me most people are underestimating the necessary aeration - like I did.

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)

  • Lovely wine.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Gave this a 5 hour decant. This is good now, but will get better. Big flavours, tannins were fine with the 5 hours of decanting. Excellent QPR

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Must have been an off bottle given other notes on CT - wine had an over-ripe flavor profile and wonder if this went through a secondary fermentation. NR

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)

  • No contemporaneous notes. Third of five bottles, one gifted. Decanted. Served immediately after the 2016 Coudelet de Beaucastel; this was far more concentrated. Still young, this only started to show well after about 1 1/2 -2 hours of air in a decanter - displaying a nice nose, with the sweetness, so evident on the plate upon opening, softening a bit. Shared with the same friend who also consumed my first bottle of this, over 2 years ago - and his opinion on the wine has changed, he now likes it. Judgment still reserved, but this will end up in the 92-94 range. I will keep my remaining two bottles for another couple of years before consuming. ADDENDUM: Day 2. Dark purple ruby. Earth and dark fruit on the nose. Very concentrated, sweet red fruits, complex. I do prefer less extraction/sweetness in my wines, but this has mellowed - a little. This could use more time but it is excellent now - with sufficient air time. (92-93). ADDENDUM: Day 3. Really showing its best today, even while still cold from the frig. (93),

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted 20 mins prior to serving. End of 1st glass noticed a VA on the nose. 30 mins later poured 2nd glass, worse- poured out. Replaced with a 2018 Walla Walla Syrah that was far superior and only $9.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)

  • I love how this has ages.
    Seamless and beautifully complex. A great time to drink and introduce the improvements of bottle age to a novice (wife)

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • PnP.

    Consistent with previous note. Great stuff.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Lots here to enjoy. Tannins add to the enjoyment which is rare. Lots of length. Worthy of a special night.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Notes from PNP - has improved from last tasting in 9/21. Dark red color and throwing a fair amount of sediment. On nose, garrigue, red raspberry, whiff of alcohol, licorice and some savory spices. On palate, similar flavor profile to nose with medium+ body, medium acidity, low tannins and very long finish. 93+

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Very delicious with great depth of classic southern Rhone flavors. Still youthful. We felt this could really hit it stride in a 3 to 5 more years.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Quite powerful, too much so on day 1. Day 2 was a little more tame and a very fine drink. Obviously a long life ahead.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Grenache. Gigondas. Still feeling my way around those identifiers. #4 Wine Enthusiast wine of 2018. Quite tasty. Alcohol rush is hidden very well, no complaints, just mentioning that this is not for those who faint easily. Smooth with a huge background presence. For cold evenings or big bloody cuts of meat (although I'm drinking this without food or decant). Reminds me of a Tempranillo for its attack and power. Will purchase more recent vintages because Domaine Saint-Damien produces quality wine. This is an experience.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Powerful and yet really fresh. Paired with roasted chicken thighs. Delicious. Better on day-2. Drink now with brief decant or hold for 3-5 years.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Past its dumb phase and drinking great again. Blackberry, tart cherry, garrigue, teak, bramble, river rocks. Excellent depth of flavor and elegant tannins. Great juice.

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted and found lots of solids. Then filtered it to remove almost all of them. This is a terrific wine with great sweet Grenache flavors like cherries, strawberries, and red raspberries. It was a joy to drink this one over two days with very similar results. This is the best wine from Domaine Saint-Damien we've ever tasted. It has a big mouthfeel and a great lingering aftertaste. So glad I bought this bargain beauty.

    5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted 2.5 hours before an extended three-hour lunch and Gigondas tasting. The decanting definitely reduced the initial pepper and tannin finish to a well balanced wine of silky tannins and moderate acidity and dark fruit. Very enjoyable but still has a few years before it reaches its peak.

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Drink this bottle over 3 days. Certainly the first day took a little while to open but within an hour or so it was wonderful. A very enjoyable wine. By the second day it had started its descent though not heavily. By day three it was certainly at a "finish it now" stage. I wrote previously that one immediately from aroma and taste, thinks about Chateauneuf. I stand by that. This is a very full bodied, viscous, jammy, Gigondas that has good balance, acidity and structure. Blackberry, blueberry and plum with subtle graphite, crushed stone and llicorice. A wonderful wine.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Rustic nose with ripe raspberries, dark chocolate, tons of clove and white peppers. Good density. Palate is full, powerful and rich. The sweet fruits and toasted spices are underneath the big structure. A nice level of fresh acidity carried the complex flavours from the full-bodied mid-palate to the rich finish. Long and lingering aftertaste. Drink this with an hour of decanting. This will drink beautifully for the next 8-10 years.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Hold

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted 30 minutes. Dark black / purple color and some sediment in bottle. On nose, red raspberry, garrigue, fruit-cake, strawberry licorice - improved with air as it was a little alcoholic at 1st sniff (agree with prior taster nothing special on pop and pour). On palate, luscious fruit back by medium acidity and tannins - red raspberry, cherry, fruit-cake on palate. 92+/- this evening (with air!!!!!) with room for 2+ points with 2+ more years of age or longer decant.

    I've tasted vintages of this back to '07 and it ages well so hopefully it grows into it's potential. Would be disapointed on pop & pour and plan on re-visiting tomorrow evening.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • There is lots of dark fruits and lots of earth/mushroom/leaves at the same time. Really complex and delicious.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted. >Initial notes: Dark purple nearly to rim. Perfumed hot exotic dark fruits on the nose. Very primary, jammy, full bodied, highly extracted with some underbrush. Judgment reserved. >1 and 1/2 hours in decanter, back into bottle and corked. >Reopened and consumed nearly 2 1/2 to 3 hours later (over four hours after opening) with dinner: The wine was enjoyable, with a nice nose, and, albeit very young and primary, displaying some complexity. But ... tasting very overly extracted with high alcohol. Very new world. While I hope this will evolve into a fine wine, I have doubts, and I question the very high scores awarded to this wine, by professionals and on this platform.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)

  • Nose has that aroma that comes from the road after a heavy downpour. Along with raisins and mushrooms. Palate has candied cherry, dry leaves, and nice sweet tannin finish.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Singing after an hour+ decant. This improved over the past year.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Delicious. Needs some air to come together, but really a top notch Gigondas. Should have bought more...

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Over 3 hours decant time. Medium ruby-light purple in colour; concentrated nose of crushed red berries and black cherries along with some dark plums, red twizlers, and hints of soy sauce. Wow, awesome aromas. On the palate, also a concentrated and chewy menagerie of ripe plums, blackberries, garrigue, and a touch of plump, ripe red cherries and black licorice; a bit of unripe red fruits are noticed as well. Medium+ bodied with a medium-long finish. This is an excellent showing.

    6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Closed out of the bottle, this opened up after two hours of air. More power and structure than I remembered. Hold for a couple years at least.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • PnD let air for 3hrs.

    Clear deep ruby with a hint of purple.

    Clean. Medium(+) intensity with aromas of plum blackberry sage blood earth soy and beef jerky.

    Dry. Medium(+) tannin. Medium(+) acidity. Medium alcohol. Medium body. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of plum sage tar blood with a gamy jerky note.

    Medium(+) finish. Outstanding. Drink now suitable for further ageing. Deep rich complex and balanced. Wow should have bought more.

    Two days later 1/2 bottle left in the fridge. Balanced beautiful and integrated. Missed that the alcohol and body was medium(+) because the acidity kept it fresh. Delicious with tons of life ahead.

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Wonderful!

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • PNP and loving the fruit but returned to glass and sure tastes corked to me
    Too bad

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted for one hour then consumed over two days. Even better on day two, this bottle was a charmer. Such lovely fruit and structure with a remaining thin wall of exceedingly soft tannin. From the highly mineral impression through the soft and graceful delivery, this wine is captivating already. Just an amazing bargain.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Immediately from aroma and taste, one thinks about Chateauneuf. This is a very full bodied, viscous, jammy, Gigondas that has good balance, acidity and structure. Blackberry, blueberry and plum with subtle graphite, crushed stone and licorice. What a wonderful wine.

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Quick decant and then drunk over 2 nights. Nice clean fruit but decent structure and not over the top or blowsy. Nice sweet Grenache.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • See prior note: Bottle variation or Time?
    Nose still shows clean fresh berry fruit but, now green brambles, alcohol and crushed rock more pronounced. The biggest tell on the palate is as the fruity baby fat is melting away the tannins are much more pronounced. Friction, red fruits, metallic iron, slight sappiness, white pepper spice with green herbals and earthy gravel. Give this 1 hour decant… Na zdrowie

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)

  • PnP, cassis, slate, cedar and baking spice. Fresh acidity and the tannins are very fine. Unlike '15, it's better than the Louisiane. Fresh, elegant and smooth with good depth of flavor and balance, this is fantastic QPR. I still prefer the Vielles Vignes ever so slightly because it costs less and is slightly more fun with even more exuberant fruit, but I've rated this wine higher due to its superior elegance, balance and sophistication.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • 80 Grenache
    20 Mourvedre

    When compared to Louisiane I understand why the “experts” rated Souteyrades higher. It’s more polished/elegant but, for my $ the Louisiane has more muscle/concentration and my preference. Nose is cool and clean. Fresh ripe blue/red bush berries, herbal brambles with hints of raw ground beef and crushed gravel. The aromatic purity of fruit is impressive, what you might find in a CDP twice the price. Less tannic charge and structure here, Crunchy red fruits with mouthwatering acidity, underlying hints of cocoa and leather, peppery spice on the finish, Medium + weight. Enjoyed 60-70 on its own over 3 days. No downside to drinking now if have more bottles… Na zdrowie

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Let breathe for an hour. Blueberry, cranberry, barbacued chicken, fresh fig, black stone and chow mein. The fruit gushes during all phases of the palate, with an exceptionally elaborate, smoky finish and middle. Not shy, however, the finesse remains. Such a graceful bottling, yet the body is full and the tannins are fine. A classic, and stunning Grenache, that is even a tad better than the luxurious 2015. One of the best values in the Rhône - which of course I hope remains as such. Drink 2020 - 2032.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Dark purple in the glass with nose of blueberry, cassis, oak, and brown sugar.

    On the palate the wine is lush and round with stewed strawberry and oak. The tannins are similarly plush with acidity on the finish with also has an herbal note. Medium complexity but delicious and easy drinking.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)

What Do You Think? Add a Tasting Note

×
×