A handful of cases remain...

Domaine Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape Premices 2015

Sale $29.99 - Beats Best US Price of $39.99!!!

92 pts Wine Advocate / 92 pts Wine Spectator 

Talk about a perfect storm- Best US Price, under $30, 92 pts, saving 25%... oh, and it's a wine that we LOVE!!! 

The story begins in 1974, when Pierre and Mireille Giraud took on 10 acres of vines In Chateauneuf du Pape as tenant farmers. Pierre came from a long line (six centuries!) of winemakers and farmers and wanted to make his own domaine. So little by little, Pierre and Mireille purchased pieces of rented land, gradually forming enough holdings to bottle their first vintage in 1981. Over the next 20 years, the domaine continued to grow, but never came into its own until siblings Francois and Marie took over in 1998. From there, a familiar story has unfolded. The new generation has thrust themselves into the vineyards, improving each parcel per its specific microclimate and terroir. Conversion to organic farming has reinvigorated the vineyards and improved the fruit. In the cellar, modern techniques and technology has been adopted, yet tradition has been respected. The results have been nothing short of spectacular.

And they just keep getting better and more accessible. Here we have a selection of their younger vines, although with up to 50-year-old vines, it is hardly a “young vines” cuvee. Up front and already drinking fabulously, the Premices Chateauneuf is meant for drinking over the next 5-8 years while you are waiting for their other CDPs to age. Or for your ship to come in so you can afford their higher end wines!

In any case, this baby is absolutely, ridiculously stunning right… now! The wine explodes with seductive aromas of raspberries, cherries and wildflowers. There’s something tantalizingly exotic going on here… hard to put my finger on it… but wow, this baby is humming. An overused wine term – kaleidoscope – comes to mind here, but it is perfectly apt. Every sniff I take offers a different array of fruit, herbs, flowers and spice. Stacked and packed with flavors of the same, the wine is silky smooth – a veritable massage for the senses!

“From the younger vines of the estate (which range from 10- to 50-year-old-vines) and 100% Grenache, the 1,000-case 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Prémices is a perfumed, elegant, sweetly fruited effort that has lots strawberries, framboise, licorice and crushed flower-like aromas and flavors. It’s a polished and seamless as they come, and a seriously good effort to drink over the coming 4-6 years. Under the inspired leadership of Marie Giraud, with assistance from consultant Philippe Cambie, this estate has quickly risen into the tiny handful of top estates in Châteauneuf du Pape. The style here incorporates a mix of traditional and progressive techniques, and while the Grenache is always kept in concrete tanks, they utilized smaller barrels for their Syrah." WA

"A pure, elegant style, with an alluring raspberry puree note leading the way, while light blood orange, red currant and plum fruit flavors follow close behind. Nuances of incense, mulling spices and rooibos tea flitter throughout. The finish is silky and persistent." WS


Or reply. The wine will be available Wednesday afternoon in both stores, as ordered.