Our Growers:

Font-Sane is a small domaine of 15 hectares (about 38 acres): 11 hectares at Gigondas, and 4 hectares in the Côtes du Ventoux. The domaine is protected by the majestic rock faces of the Dentelles de Montmirail. In the vineyard, there are several major quality factors. At Gigondas, the wines average nearly 40 years, with important parcels of 50 + year-old vines on the middle slopes. The yields are low. The mix of grape varieties is weighted toward Grenache, but Font-Sane also puts fully 25% Syrah into its blend for Syrah's elegant aromas of dark fruit and fresh wild green herbs and its firm structure. Both the complexity and the balance in Font-Sane's Gigondas comes from the mix of 4 different grape varieties planted on 35 different parcels with every conceivable exposure and at various elevations from 150 to 350 meters, which creates an exceptionally diverse array of aromatics and structural characteristics.

The harvest is done by hand. The whole bunches, never de-stemmed, are pushed up into closed cement vats. The vatting lasts from 8 to 15

days, and the wine is drawn off as soon as the alcoholic fermentation is finished. Not only is the relatively short vatting noteworthy, but so is the very cool temperature of the fermentation. These two factors, along with a very short time in wood (aging is done, as is traditional in the south, in large, old oak foudres), go a long way to explaining the 'House style' here: exceptionally fresh, cool aromatics; great conservation of fruit; and great finesse from the fine balance of acidity with the very fine, 'sweet' tannins.

Gigondas: is a frankly robust, dark wine, often with more body but also less complexity than Châteauneuf-du-Pape.The cépages are: 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre and 2% Cinsault. Depending on the year, or the wine's phase in bottle, Font-Sane's Gigondas may exhibit aromas of violets, small dark red fruits (raspberry or black raspberry to blackberry), and spicy, resinous aromas like licorice or even vanilla-not the "vanilla" one gets from new oak, but the vanilla aroma which comes from the grape varieties and terroir themselves. With bottle age, the wine may develop the classic "meaty" notes the French call "arômes animales," and the equally classic aromas of truffles and sous-bois - the "earthy" but clean and cool aroma of the forest floor after a rain. The cool microclimate means the grapes never 'cook' in the southern heat. No weeding is necessary because weeds don't grow in the rock-covered soil. The berries are smaller, firmer, with thicker skins; yields are low; and the wine correspondingly denser, more concentrated, with superbly firm structure. The expression of minerality in the wine is wonderful. It goes perfectly with red meats in sauces, spicy dishes and cheese.

The Côtes du Ventoux: is by no means to be overlooked. It is a firm, fruity style of Ventoux. The Ventoux is made from 70% old Grenache vines with 30% Syrah. Aged in vat, it comes from a sandy "terroir" at the foot of Mont Ventoux and goes well with a wide variety of dishes.

The Terrasses des Dentelles is 65% Grenache and 35% syrah and comes from the very best of the domaine's terroirs in Gigondas. The wine is aged in new oak casks and has a bouquet of underwood enhanced by notes of vanilla and licorice. It goes well with wild duck, grouse with juniper berries and desserts made with bitter chocolate.

Domaine's webpage: http://www.font-sane.com