Friday Sips

Here at the Cellar Door, Galet des Papes has somewhat become an anti-hero. Jean-Luc Mayard eschews the celebrity winemaker role, doesn’t cater to critics, and for him a vacation may be a night out in Avignon; this is a man who simply loves his vines. We have been selling his wines since the 1996 vintage and there have been many superb bottles that have come through our doors, some, like the 2001 Vieilles Vignes, have garnered mythical status around here. The 2009 Tradition has just hit and we’re excited to have you taste the next Galet prodigy.

Galet is one of the last of the Mohicans in that they are one of only 20 producers remaining who don’t de-stem their fruit. There are some estates who go partial de-stem, some totally de-stem, but these last 20, including Galet ,are the true old-school and have immense street credibility. What this all means is that the whole clusters that are aged in large vats won't show modern-style manipulated color, but what they will show is serious complexity and cerebral character. From Jean-Luc’s young vines (50+ years) the blend is 80% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault & 5% Vaccarese and aromatically and flavor-wise the 2009 Tradition CDP combines heft with plenty of dance. Wild flowers and teeming with strawberry, kirsch, Moroccan spices and a potpourri of Provençal herbs. Full-formed texture, superb structure and presence of Chateauneuf warmth and depth. The finish is excellent and very real; a Châteauneuf that really just wants to be loved. Drink through 2024.

The wines from one of the pinnacle Cairanne producers, Oratoire St-Martin, are among the best of the Southern Rhône Valley. The quality and vine age at this estate is one of the most profound in the Rhône Valley, but one must imagine what the Alary family could do if they had land in Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas. François Alary is the 10th generation and he studied his craft in Burgundy, so there is smoothness and class to these wines but don’t be fooled, these are 100%, top-notch Rhône wines that age beautifully yet can be consumed early. Ancient vines dominate this 300 year old, 60 acre estate. Even with 60 acres, low yields and sensible farming produce a scant 7000 case total production for the world. A healthy portion of old-vine Mourvèdre is planted among the Grenache and Syrah which is why we lovingly refer to this property as “the Beaucastel of Cairanne.” Note that like the Domaine, we are only notating them as Cairanne. Even though they are Cotes-du-Rhone Villages Cairanne appellation and the Alarys legally are required to notate it and they do it on the back label, these wines are something way beyond CDRV.

One of 3 Reserve selections, the Reserve les Seigneurs Cuvee is the so-called "young vines" of the lot. 50 year old vines, comprised of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah this lavish and laid-back number reveals aromatic black cherry, cinnamon stick, tea-leaf and exotic spice. 2011 is a wonderful, quite open-knit expression of this wine. Lacy, fine-tuned, very Grenache-y in flavors. Grenadine combines with Italian plum and builds to a deceptively stacked finish with an abundance of peppery tones. Drink this beauty now through 2018+.