# Domaine Grand Romane Gigondas Rouge (2024)

- **Producer:** Pierre Amadieu
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah
- **Region:** Rhône, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €23
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, strawberry, blackberry, black pepper, liquorice, mint, cloves, cedar, smoke, leather, game

## About this wine

Domaine Grand Romane is a benchmark estate cuvée produced by Pierre Amadieu in the Gigondas appellation of the Southern Rhône Valley. Created in the late 1980s by Claude and Pierre Amadieu, the wine is named after the Romane Valley where the family vineyards reside at an altitude of 400 meters near the Dentelles de Montmirail. Pierre Amadieu Sr was an early pioneer of planting Mourvèdre in the region during the 1950s. Today, Jean-Marie Amadieu continues this family tradition, focusing on high-altitude terroir expression and organic farming across old-vine parcels.

## Interesting facts

- Sourced from high-altitude vineyards at 400 meters in the Romane Valley under the Dentelles de Montmirail.
- Pierre Amadieu Sr pioneered planting Mourvèdre in Gigondas in the 1950s despite regional skepticism.
- Grazing sheep have been used in the Romane vineyard parcels since 2023 for natural cover crop management.

## Food pairing

The high natural freshness, rich structure, and sleek tannins of this high-altitude Gigondas demand rich protein and savory earthiness. High-fat meats such as lamb and wild game soften the wine's medium-plus tannins, while herbs like rosemary and thyme mirror the natural scrubland garrigue characteristics.

## Wine making process

Crafted from organically grown vines up to 65 years old, the grapes are harvested manually after plot-by-plot berry tasting. Grenache and Syrah undergo traditional temperature-controlled fermentation, while Mourvèdre undergoes whole-bunch maceration to enhance structure and texture. The wine is aged for 18 months after blending, with 60% maturing in oak barrels (15% new French oak, 45% older oak) and 40% in large oak casks (foudres). The final cuvée is bottled unfiltered.