Domaine Saint Damien Le Dix 2020

Sale $13.89 – Beats Best US Price Online

Buy six or more for just $11.99

If you’ve been buying Rhone wines from us for any length of time, you are certainly familiar with St. Damien, producer of some of the highest-rated and best-priced Gigondas year after year. And their Cotes du Rhones are off the charts good as well.

So I’ll let you in on a little secret…  the best winemakers in the world aren’t content to just churn out their most popular wines, year after year. Rather, they continue to push themselves by experimenting with different blends and different grapes. The risk, of course, is a wine won’t come out very good, and they could “devalue” their brand. But with a winemaker as talented as Romain Saurel, another “problem” can arise. What do you do with the wine when it turns out delicious and there just isn’t very much of it? Lucky for us, we’ve been such huge supporters of St. Damien that we have been given an allocation, making us just one of four retailers to offer the wine over the past two vintages!

So what do we have? Straight-up, this is a crazy blend of Marselan and Caladoc… say what? Back in the 50s and 60s, there was a push to create new grape varieties. Most have disappeared, but the few that have remained are delicious, interesting, and impossible to sell. (Which explains the ridiculous price here!) Marselan is a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Caladoc is one of Malbec and Grenache.

Pause for effect…

This gem offers aromas of violets, plums, black cherries and blackberries leading into flavors of the same. There’s a rich fruit flavor from the Malbec and some fine tannins from the Cabernet, both adding weight to the peppery spice of the Grenache. It’s a perfect accompaniment to a mixed grill dinner – where everyone has their choice of protein tossed on the grill. We do it for family, and, once again, with friends. It’s a great way to make dinner!


Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Wednesday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.