Santa Duc Chateauneuf-du-Pape 'La Pied de Baud' 2018
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1 or more bottles$120.00
Editors notes
Lovers of the variety know that Grenache is a versatile grape, making anything from the lightest of roses to the fullest of reds. What's rare, though, is for a single producer to run the entire gamut themselves. Santa Duc does this, eschewing a particular style for what they believe is the most accurate representation of terroir.
The Le Pied de Baud is certainly not the heaviest in the line up, nor the lightest, but sits quite comfortably in the middle. Where the other wines have a sense of tannic structure to them, what makes this difference is the sheer, unadulterated freshness.
This showcases just how elegant Grenache can be. The length here is insane. This is a wine which will burn itself onto your memory.
Details
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Wine Type
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Variety
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Cellaring
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Apple
- Floral
- Red Cherry
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Palate
- Black Cherry
- Mineral
- Pear
- Red Fruits
Food Pairings
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Cheese
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Game
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Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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The Wine Advocate
96"Marked by aromas of resinous herbs, roses and raspberries, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Pied de Baud is an enthralling blend from the Le Pied de Baud lieu-dit, in the south of the appellation. Raspberries, strawberries and redcurrants all make appearances, supported by crisp acids and silky, just-ripe tannins. Young Benjamin Gras is looking for tension in his wines, and this wine captures that elusive quality, lingering tautly on the mouth-watering finish. - Joe Czerwinski"
Other vintages
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Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.

Rhone Valley
The Rhône Valley is in the South of France and is situated in the Rhône river valley. The region has been growing wines for centuries and is generally split into two sub-regions. In the Northern Rhône, Syrah is the predominant grape variety, though it is often blended with other white varieties like Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier, or the red grape Mourvedre. In the Southern Rhône, a wide range of white, red and rosés are produced alongside the undisputed king of the Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The Northern Rhône is cooler than the Southern Rhône and has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winter. The appellations from North to South are Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray.
In Southern Rhône, the climate is more Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous appellation but others include Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas and Lirac. Large pebbles are used in the region, placed at the base of the vines to absorb the suns heat during the day, to keep the vines warm at night.
Châteauneuf-du-Papes are blended from the 13 permitted grape varieties, though Grenache usually dominates, supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. These wines can be supremely rich and complex and typically warrant 5-10 years in the cellar for best results.

Gigondas
Gigondas was once known as 'Jucunditas' meaning 'joy and jubilation' in Latin. It's is a French wine Appellation (AOC) in the southern Rhône wine region, in the south of France. Primarily red wines are produced in the region, with a small amount of rosé wine also produced, though no white wines are labelled with the Gigondas appellation (AOC).
The Gigondas AOC wines are produced exclusively in the commune of Gigondas in Vaucluse and are generally made from Grenache (maximum of 80%) and a minimum of 15% each of Syrah and Mourvedre. Small amounts (up to 10%) of other sanctioned varieties are permitted, but Carignan is not allowed.
The region's terroir comprises a hot and dry Mediterranean climate (not unlike that o f McLaren vale - a new world region well known for premium Grenache) and a mix of limestone soils (on the Montmirail hills to the east) and sandy, rocky free-draining soils to the north and west.
Due to the region's warmth (significantly warmer than Châteauneuf-du-Pape) the wines produced can carry rather high alcohol volumes and be full bodied. When handled well, and by great producers, some exceptional wines can be borne of the region.

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