2015 Domaine Les Pallieres Les Racines Gigondas

92 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Still youthfully tight, with singed alder and dried lavender notes framing a coiled core of cassis, damson plum and bitter cherry fruit. The long sanguine- and mineral-edged finish will need some time to unwind fully. Best from 2019 through 2027. 2,800 cases made.

92 POINTS

Josh Raynolds - Vinous

Points: (91-93) Brilliant ruby. Explosive dark berry preserve, incense and lavender scents, along with hints of allspice and dusty minerals. Sweet and focused on the palate, offering concentrated boysenberry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that smoothly blend depth and vivacity. Closes on a gently tannic note, showing strong persistence, excellent clarity and a lingering floral quality.

91 POINTS

Joe Czerwinski - Wine Advocate

I preferred the Domaine Les Pallieres 2015 Gigondas Les Racines, which comes from 75-year-old vines (80% Grenache) at lower elevation. There's a sassafras-like spice note to this wine, along with ripe cherries and hints of clove and allspice. Like the Terrasse de Diable, it's full-bodied and silky in texture, but the Racines seems to carry its alcohol better. Both of these Gigondas are matured exclusively in 60-hectoliter foudres, so there's no obvious oak influence.

91 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate

The 2015 Gigondas les Racines looks to be slightly superior to the Terrasses du Diable at this point and has a more minerality, dark fruit and garrigue in a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, even backwards style. It has depth and length, and will benefit from a few years in bottle.