Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Galimardes Rouge 2020

The critical applause for this exotic and intense 2020 Châteauneuf du Pape is staggeringly never-ending – and for great reason! Organic farming, long-reaching family pedigree, and limited production CdP of this caliber are surely hard to come across, especially for our epic price of nearly 40% off with free shipping on 3 or more bottles!

It’s a tale as old as time. He comes from a family of grape growers reaching back 6 centuries; her family owned the village distillery for generations. Upon meeting, falling in love, and getting married, Pierre and Mireille unified two families deep in the wine and beverage world and, in 1974, began to cultivate 4 hectares of their own vineyard land. As time passed, the estate gradually grew with new land acquisitions, today covering 35 hectares. They turned Mireille’s family’s distillery into a wine cellar in 1981, and that very year they harvested their first vintage of wine together. In 1998, the couple passed their legacy, passion, and life’s work on to their children, Marie and François, who had studied viticulture and enology – and had plenty of personal exposure and experience throughout their lives, as well. The brother-and-sister duo have continued to improve on the work their parents set into place and even transitioned to organic farming in 2008.

With an emphasis on Grenache, the estate also grows Syrah, Mourvèdre, and a selection of white grapes with crystalline focus on allowing both their terroir and the unique vintages to shine. This wine’s grapes were grown south of the CdP village, in the Les Gallimardes lieu-dit, some on 100-plus-year-old vines planted over top red clay and gravelly soils complete with the large, round, river rocks so synonymous with the Châteauneuf du Pape region. Built of 90% Grenache and the balance Syrah, it ages for 18 months in a mix of new oak barrels and concrete vats, lending both oaky spice and pure mineral characters to the finished wine.

“Remarkably silky and fresh”...“This shows grace and polish, balance and finely cut texture”...“Creamy and well put together”...“A forward, charming, sexy profile”...“Hedonistic appeal and age-worthiness.”

Massively alluring, generously concentrated, and immeasurably fresh – this 2020 is beyond worthy of all the hype it’s gotten, and certainly has our nod of approval (and we’re sure yours soon too)! In a vintage that has proven a challenge for some CdP producers, the cream has truly risen to the top here, and it’s clear that practiced winemaking, excellent terroir, and steadfast patience can pay off even in the more trying of growing years. As Decanter wrote in its 2020 vintage report, “the best terroirs really shined, producing athletic, elegant wines of intensity and panache.” With loads and loads of red berries and plums, plus black cherries, a smattering of herbes de Provence, black truffle, mocha, damp earth, charred wood, and a lick of licorice and peppery spice – this is a mouthful of rich, herbaceous, hedonistic, and complex enchantment. Super rare and limited, with practically every major critic singing its compliments, this is one CdP you don’t want to pass by! Free shipping on 3 or more, so you might as well load on up!

PAIRING IDEAS: A savory, brothy, creamy pork ramen – loaded with veggies, umami, and a soft-boiled egg – would be a delight next to this big and rich CdP.