2013 Domaine Gallety, Cotes du Vivarais Rouge, Vallee du Rhone, France.
Only recently discovered by Kermit Lynch, Domaine Gallety is a rising star in the little known Côtes du Vivarais making excellent Rhône reds from Syrah and Grenache, it’s called the gateway between the Northern Rhône and the Southern Rhône Valley and Alain and his son David-Alexandre are expressing the best of both worlds on their all organic estate to west of the Rhône above Nimes near the Ardèche close to Montélimar to the small village to the north. These hills are similar to the Côtes-du-Rhône with lots of sand and clay with mostly limestone, the climate is slightly wetter and cooler giving the grapes longer hang time and plays into style at Gallety who favors Syrah, though this Côtes du Vivarais cuvee Rouge uses it’s 50% of Grenache perfectly giving the wine a rich graceful nature. Domaine Gallety ferments in cement gravity fed cuves and aged in ex-Burgundy barrels, the ferments last about 20 or so days and the wine tastes like whole cluster, with native yeasts, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The 2013 Côtes du Vivarais Rouge is 50% Syrah, 50% Grenache as mentioned, from 40 year old vines and it shows plenty of dark fruits, wild herbs, spice and sweet floral tones starting with crushed violets, camphor/embers, creme de cassis and fresh cracked peppercorns with layers of damson plum, black cherry, boysenberry and pomegranate fruits with chalky stones, lavender, black olives and anise. This gorgeous Rhone red feels like a blend of Cornas & Gigondas with sexy flamboyance, superb detailing and a nice exotic and earthy essence, this is serious stuff, be sure to look for it, drink over the next 3 to 5 years.
($28 Est.) 92+ Points, grapelive
