Here’s the full tasting note for...

Domaine des Garriguettes, Cotes du Rhone Rouge, Tradition, 2022

A classic and superior southern Rhône, from bio-dynamically farmed (and certified) vines around Gadagne, south-east of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

"Lustily singing with beautiful fruit, soaring with purity, leaving the tannins behind in a cloud of spicy dustiness. This is crackingly good! A brilliant hack of a wine... how to put a delicious Rhône on the table for less than £15 which will impress the wine snobs as much as the supermarket-wine drinkers." VGV, 16.5/20,  2023-2028, Tamlyn Currin, www.jancisrobinson.com, December 2023

As the delicious previous vintage, this is superb. From 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah, it displays a vibrant and youthful purple robe and delectably lush fruit, chockfull of ripe cherries. There's a transparency and elegance to this which is especially beguiling in a full-bodied, Grenache-based southern Rhône. Smooth tannins bolster it perfectly. With all honesty, we can promise you will enjoy this much more than many wines from Cairanne, Vacqueyras or Gigondas. Now-2027

Lying just to the east of Avignon is the “other” Châteauneuf – the village of Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne which in large part shares a similar terroir to its more famous and much larger appellation to the north, i.e. the vineyards are covered with rounded pudding stones, weathered deposits from the Rhône river. It’s a historic terroir, the wines respected for centuries. 

Young Sébastien Clement now runs the domaine, having gained experience in the northern Rhône, Portugal and Australia. He immediately converted to organic and bio-dynamic viticulture.  Matt Walls, author of the Wines of the Rhône (published in 2021) thinks that “In time, this could be the domaine that finally puts Gadagne on the map”.