2018 Domaine Gallety Côtes Du Vivarais Rouge

The Côtes du Vivarais (meaning hillside slopes of Vivarais) run down the western flank of the Rhône, just south of Montélimar in the Ardèche. Although these hills mirror those of the Côtes-du-Rhône on the opposite bank of the river, the Côtes du Vivarais was only recently awarded A.O.C. in 1999. This region has a cooler and wetter climate than its neighbor across the river and has a longer ripening season.

Domaine Gallety was founded in 1974 by Alain Gallety and his father. Today it is run by Alain and his son David-Alexandre. They farm their stony and wild vineyards organically and work it with a draft horse. Their wines are aged in Burgundian barrels. These barrels are low and squat, with a deeper, rounder bilge than a Bordeaux barrel. The deeper bilge is designed to allow the spent yeasts (known as lees) to settle easily. The Galletys believe that these barrels produce wines with greater finesse.

The Domaine Gallety Côtes Du Vivarais Rouge is a blend of 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache grown on clay and limestone. Syrah is typically bold and full-bodied, with aromatic notes of smoke, black fruit and pepper spice. Stylistically, it can be round and fruity, or dense and tannic. In colder climates it produces a dense, tannic wine. Grenache is characterized by medium levels of tannin and acid, and wines produced from it are known for their spicy fruit-driven flavors. In the colder climates of Rhone the grape brings smoky, herbal notes to the wine.

After the harvest, the grapes are fermented naturally in cement tanks for about 20 days. The wine is aged in neutral oak barrels for about 15 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The resulting wine is very approachable and is ready to drink today. It will also cellar well for several years.

Enjoy this wine with pork chops, roasted eggplant, or a cheese and tomato galette.