Domaine Yves Cheron “Jurassique”
Gigondas , France | 2017
Resting at the limestone and Cretacious marl base of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain in Gigondas sits the spectacular vineyards of the Cheron family. Since 2015 and five generations deep, winemaker Élisa Cheron has taken the helm as head winemaker and has helped bring with her presence a distinct finesse to these famously brooding wines. Practicing sustainable farming with all of the estate’s vines, Élise was recently joined by her husband Marty who acts as crop manager and takes exquisite care of the estate’s vineyards.
The Jurassique vineyard is special from their other holdings. It consists of some of the oldest soils made of black marl and limestone that date back to, you guessed it, the Jurassic period between 135-155 million years ago. To emphasize the point, this is extremely rare. Cheron’s first vines were planted here in 1956 which are still producing fruit for this cuvée so great attention is placed onto them: they are only manually harvested so no machinery is allowed, strict cluster selection within the vineyards, then another tedious separation of any unwanted fruit on the sorting table.
Élisa’s choice to ferment the fruit in stainless steel tanks while aging taking place in cement tanks allows a freshness to the fruit that isn’t bogged down by extended oak treatment. In her opinion, this allows the spirit of the terroir to stand out. The Jurassique cuvée is also made using only two varietals that are grown in these famous soils: Grenache and Syrah. This vintage is 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah highlighting the red fruits but still nicely incorporating evident black pepper and violets from the Syrah.
Though the fruit is still substantial in Jurassique, it’s the herbs and crushed rock that really get the spotlight: thyme, bay leaf, and mint dominate the nose while ripe raspberry, blueberry and cherry mark the fruit set with a finish that translates the ancient soils to perfection. The lithe mineral-driven and delicate floral component to the wine is what I love, and this is rare for Gigondas blends in general as this region tends to produce brusque and rustic wines that require food and lots of air to open up. This wine has all of the ingredients that make Gigondas wines great, but it’s presented in a softer style that allows it to be enjoyed on its own. Enjoy with a mild blue cheese or anything you want to put on the grill this Summer!