Notre Dame des Pallières Sablet Rouge “L’Olivet”
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The Domaine’s vines of Sablet, over 40 years old, are located on the slopes overlooking the village for Grenache (clay-limestone subsoil) and near the village for Syrah (silico-limestone subsoil).
- This sleeper in our portfolio is a total steal and Bruno Walker’s go-to for a “look twice” Rhone value.
Varietal Composition: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
Elaboration: The selection of old vines is manually harvested and the grapes carefully sorted. All clusters are then scraped. Both grapes are vinified separately, the maceration lasts about 20 days with temperature control. The assembly is carried out at the end of the fermentation, malolactic.
Tasting Notes: Very beautiful purple color, bright brilliant. Nose of fresh fruit, intense, on morello cherry, blackberry, red fruit coulis. The palate is fleshy, round, crisp, full of fruit, with matter, without hardness and silky tannins.
PRESS
2017 – 92 Wine Advocate
2019 – 91 Wine Advocate | 90 Wine Enthusiast “Best Buy”
ABOUT THE WINERY
Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières is a very old family estate, whose name comes from a place of pilgrimage visited by the Provençal people in the middle ages who believed that the fountain on the property would protect them from the plague.
Claude Roux and his cousin Jean-Pierre have so many generations of Gigondas wine making experience in their family that they don’t know exactly how many of their relatives have been involved up to now – Antique writings suggest that this Domain existed in the 900’s. Fortunately this tradition is continuing with Claude’s children, Isabelle and Julien, gradually taking over the day to day responsibilities of farming, production, and administration.
Vineyard holdings total 74 acres in Gigondas, Sablet, and Cotes du Rhone.
When asked about their methods they smile and explain that they are simply following the traditional methods of the family members that came before them.