Notify me
2023 Gigondas
Domaine de Durban
Throw a rock (or a riverbed stone) in the southern Rhône and chances are you’ll land on a bottle whose contents, for the price, wouldn’t hold a candle to Henri Leydier’s Gigondas from Domaine de Durban. Bottled in small quantities, it is ounce for ounce one of the best bargains in our book, and perhaps the entire region.
Squarely cut and sturdily built, Henri is a third-generation winegrower who inherited the hefty hands of someone destined for arduous vineyard and cellar work. A glass of wine in his grasp looks fragile, almost miniature. But like Henri, his Gigondas—densely concentrated and deeply opaque—is more refined than meets the eye. Grenache and a generous dose of Syrah are entirely de-stemmed, and never come in contact with oak during fermentation or ageing. The resulting wine is distinctly smoky and sculpted, with structured tannins, and a whiff of wild violet. It’s a striking wine whose Syrah qualities really shine.
Last time I visited the estate with colleagues to taste with Henri, he served up heaping plates of black olive tapenade, slabs of chunky pâté, and perhaps the most versatile dish around—anchovy pizza! With an easy, gap-toothed smile and gentle gaze, Henri poured one vintage after another of cool Gigondas from his chilly stone cellar. He left us feeling charmed and welcome, and so did his wine.
—Jane Augustine
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah |
Appellation: | Gigondas |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine de Durban |
Winemaker: | The Leydier Family |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1974, 6 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged in concrete tanks |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 15% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
Grenache is joined by Syrah and a drop of Mourvèdre to create this delightful everyday red scented of herbes de Provence and ripe black cherry.

2023 Vacqueyras “Un Sang Blanc”
France | Southern Rhône
A relatively rare beast, Serge’s blanc is a ripe, honey-infused cornucopia of fruit.

2020 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise HALF BOTTLE
France | Southern Rhône
Leydiers at Domaine de Durban are particularly proud of their Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, a vin doux naturel, as they are among the last to craft it in the traditional style.

2023 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
France | Southern Rhône
This lovely Muscat is full of fresh honeysuckle and ripe citrus fruit.

2024 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
Hailing from a parcel of co-planted vines adjacent to the family home, these varieties were planted together with the express purpose of making the house rouge, the everyday vibrant and juicy drink you’d bring to the table in a jug and drink out of a cup.

2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
France | Southern Rhône
La Sagesse carries the full flavor, succulence, and savoriness we associate with Grenache on a graceful and lively frame.

2022 Tavel Rosé HALF BOTTLE
France | Southern Rhône
This dark, autumnal rosé is a beacon of tradition in a sea of paler styles.

2024 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
We aimed for maximum drinkability: plenty of hedonistic purple-tinged fruit, along with a hint of wild herbs and lovely lavender and violet notes.

2023 Vacqueyras Rouge “ Doucinello”
France | Southern Rhône
The flavors are mostly deep and dark—stones, licorice, black olive, and blackberry—but the frame is lithe.

2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Piedlong”
France | Southern Rhône
At once robust, succulent, and elegant, this red offers immediate pleasure and age-worthy promise.

About The Producer
Domaine de Durban
More from Southern Rhône or France
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2020 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise HALF BOTTLE
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Papesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2024 Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc “Pantomine”
Maxime-François Laurent France | Southern Rhône
2024 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif”
Maxime-François Laurent France | Southern Rhône
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Piedlong”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vacqueyras “Un Sang Blanc”
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable” MAGNUM
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2007 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2020 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise HALF BOTTLE
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Papesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2024 Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc “Pantomine”
Maxime-François Laurent France | Southern Rhône
2024 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif”
Maxime-François Laurent France | Southern Rhône
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Piedlong”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vacqueyras “Un Sang Blanc”
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable” MAGNUM
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2007 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.