2010 Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique Chateauneuf du Pape "Secrets de Pignan Vieilles Vignes" 1.5L

Eric Bonnet at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique learned winemaking in Burgundy and it really shows in the lovely wines he crafts at family's domaine. Today Bonnet, with his parents, Gerard and Marie-Claude, and his wife Julie Moro, work together at La Bastide Saint Dominique, fashioning some of the best values in the Rhone.

The release of La Bastide Saint Dominique's Chateauneuf du Pape Secrets de Pignan is always a great day for us. Easily one of our favorite Chateauneufs year in and year out, La Bastide Saint Dominique's Pignan bottling represents one of the the best expressions of Grenache that we've ever had. The Pignan in the name comes from the location in the Rhone where the grapes for this beautiful Chateauneuf du Pape are grown, the sandy soils of Pignan are perfectly suited for growing Grenache. La Bastide Saint Dominique's holdings in Pignan are adjacent to those of Chateau Rayas, but La Bastide Saint Dominique's Secrets de Pignan is a fraction of the price. Predominately Grenache, with a small amount of Mourvedre, Secrets de Pignan comes from a 90+ year old vineyard that La Bastide Saint Dominqiue owns and is aged entirely in tank in order to preserve the character of the Grenache from those very old vines. A definite buy for any lover of Chateauneuf du Pape!

Wine arrives April 2012.