Notify me
2023 Gigondas
Domaine de DurbanThrow 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
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
France | Southern Rhône
Clos La Roquète’s blanc is luscious, yet finishes nice and dry with striking acidity.
2008 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
France | Southern Rhône
On the surface is an abundance of violets and velvet, amid a cooling sensation of a cold spring on a hot day. Below the surface lurks a bitter austerity.
Clairette de Die “Tradition”
France | Southern Rhône
This festive sparkling wine is vinified following the ancient tradition of one of the most gorgeous corners of France, where small hills grow into small mountains on the flanks of the Alps.
2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” MAGNUM
France | Southern Rhône
Nothing says “life of the party” like a magnum of our best Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is the perfect pairing for your holiday roast!
2022 Gigondas
France | Southern Rhône
Durban does here what they do best, keeping the focus and precision of the terroir as well as loads of fruit and pleasure.
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.
2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF-BOTTLE
France | Southern Rhône
Just in the mood for a splash of red? A half-bottle of perfectly mature VT will transform the occasion!
2022 Tavel Rosé
France | Southern Rhône
Stony, spicy, and dense, it evokes red berries, watermelon, and garrigue and offers a beautiful accompaniment to a wide range of dishes.
2022 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
Grenache is joined by Syrah and a drop of Mourvèdre to create this delightful everyday red scented with herbes de Provence and ripe black cherry.
2022 Gigondas “Racines”
France | Southern Rhône
The palate is dense and ripe, yet wonderfully smooth and elegant. Racines seems to tap into the history of Les Pallières, the prestige and the high-toned elegance.
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
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Télégramme”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vin de France Rosé “Au Petit Bonheur”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vacqueyras Rouge “Cuvée de Lopy”
Domaine le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2008 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel Rosé HALF BOTTLE
Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Gigondas
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Télégramme”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Télégramme”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vin de France Rosé “Au Petit Bonheur”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vacqueyras Rouge “Cuvée de Lopy”
Domaine le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2008 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel Rosé HALF BOTTLE
Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Gigondas
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Télégramme”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.