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Domaine Saint-Damien, Gigondas Vieilles Vignes 'La Louisiane' 2014
RedFrance2014
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-01-16 · Published 2026-09-19 · Updated 2026-09-19
At a glance
One critic score registered on Vivino — 90 points (Dec 2016)
Market note: Overseas retail runs in the mid-US$40s depending on vintage (tablewineasheville.com, checked Sept 2026). La Louisiane is a single-plot cuvée made in smaller volumes than the domaine's standard Gigondas Vieilles Vignes, so availability is limited.
What this wine is
Gigondas spent a long time as part of Côtes du Rhône-Villages. Before World War II, the village's wine is said to have been used, in part, to strengthen Burgundy wines. Then in 1971 Gigondas broke off from Côtes du Rhône-Villages and became a full appellation in its own right — earning a status as the southern Rhône's "little brother" to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The limestone spires of the Dentelles de Montmirail split the appellation into two distinct microclimates, one cooler and one warmer, and within the blend rules — Grenache capped at 80%, Syrah and/or Mourvèdre at least 15% — that split lets Gigondas range across quite different styles.
The Saurel family behind this wine has reportedly farmed this land since 1821. Joël and Amie Saurel, with their son Romain (now the winemaker), formally founded the domaine in 1979, moving away from decades of selling grapes to négociants and starting to bottle under their own name in 1996; they achieved organic certification in 2012. Of the domaine's 45 hectares, 15 are given to Gigondas, split across several named plots — La Moutte, Pigières, La Louisiane, Les Souteyrades, La Tour. This bottle is the separate single-plot bottling from La Louisiane. The vines average 50 years old and are planted at high density (5,000 vines per hectare) to keep yields low, with some blocks dating to the 1940s. Grapes are hand-harvested and de-stemmed, given a long 4–8 week maceration, then aged 12 months in traditional 50-hectoliter foudres, unfined and unfiltered.
What the world says
The 2014 vintage averages 4.1 from 143 Vivino ratings — slightly above the label-wide average of 4.0 from 1,773 ratings. The distribution skews heavily toward 4-star ratings (100), with 20 fives and 18 threes. One critic score is on file: 90 points (Dec 2016, publication not named).
The flavor keywords lead with black fruit — blackberry, plum — at 125 mentions, followed by an earthy group of earthiness and leather (103), oak and clove (89), and a spice group of pepper and licorice (84). Structure: intensity 4.1/5 shows real power, but acidity at 3.4 and tannin at 3.2 keep the finish from turning rough.
"Perfect Rhône wine — smooth yet full of cassis flavor." — Vivino review, Mar 2019, 4.5 stars
"Outstanding value! Great Grenache loveliness that tastes better than most Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Dark, tart cherry, blackberries, pepper, licorice..." — Vivino review, Sept 2018, 5.0 stars
The recommended drinking window is 2018–2028; I drank this in January 2020, near the start of that window.
How I drank it
"Grass, licorice, pepper." 16 January 2020, 3.5 stars. Short as the note is, its direction matches the community's top keywords almost exactly — pepper and licorice are the top two entries in the spice group. That night was a party with two double magnums in play: Louis Roederer Brut Premier (4.0), a double magnum of Martelet de Cherisey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'Hameau de Blagny' 2016 (4.5), a double magnum of Arnaud Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 2017 (4.0), and Vieux Château Gaubert Graves 1999 (2.5) all came before this Gigondas, and Antinori Solaia 2012 (5.0) closed the night.
Of six bottles, 3.5 was the third-highest score — below Solaia (5.0) and the Puligny (4.5), but above the Roederer and the Gevrey (both 4.0) and well above the Graves (2.5). That's half a point below the community average of 4.1. There's not much to read into psychologically from a two-word note like this one; the plain number is that this Gigondas landed just under the midpoint of a six-bottle lineup where half the wines scored 4.0 or higher.
Where this wine shows up
Said to have once been used to strengthen Burgundy wines before World War II, Gigondas became its own AOC in 1971, splitting from Côtes du Rhône-Villages — the moment it earned a standing close to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhône. This domaine's Gigondas is made within that same appellation framework.
Wikipedia — Gigondas AOC · Vins Rhône — Côtes du Rhône Cru AOC Gigondas
Artwork and stills are not reproduced for copyright reasons; scenes are summarised.
Vivino community data
2014 vintage rating distribution (143 ratings, average 4.1)
| 5★ | 20 (14%) | |
| 4★ | 100 (70%) | |
| 3★ | 18 (13%) | |
| 2★ | 3 (2%) | |
| 1★ | 2 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Black fruit | 125 | blackberry 33 · plum 28 · dark fruit 20 · black cherry 12 · black fruit 12 |
| Earth | 103 | earthy 32 · leather 23 · minerals 14 · smoke 6 · forest floor 3 |
| Oak | 89 | oak 26 · clove 13 · cedar 9 · cola 8 · tobacco 8 |
| Spice | 84 | pepper 42 · licorice 22 · thyme 5 · white pepper 3 · anise 2 |
| Red fruit | 70 | cherry 23 · raspberry 13 · red fruit 13 · red cherry 6 · red plum 4 |
| Floral | 16 | violet 8 · lavender 6 · dried rose 1 · rose petal 1 |
| Dried fruit | 14 | prune 6 · raisin 5 · dried cranberry 1 · dried fruit 1 · fig 1 |
Structure: Acidity 3.4/5 · Intensity 4.1/5 · Tannin 3.2/5 · Sweetness 1.6/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 1773 ratings, average 4.0)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 3.9 | 50 |
| 2009 | 3.6 | 58 |
| 2010 | 3.7 | 99 |
| 2011 | 4.1 | 102 |
| 2012 | 3.9 | 162 |
| 2014 | 4.1 | 143 |
| 2015 | 4.1 | 256 |
| 2016 | 4.1 | 158 |
| 2017 | 4.1 | 146 |
| 2018 | 4.1 | 168 |
| 2019 | 4.1 | 147 |
| 2020 | 4.0 | 102 |
| 2022 | 4.2 | 64 |
| 2023 | 4.1 | 32 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-01-16)
“Grass, licorice, pepper.”
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Saint-Damien Gigondas 'La Louisiane' 2014?
A Grenache-led blend (85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre) from the Saurel family's estate in Gigondas, southern Rhône, bottled separately from the La Louisiane plot's old vines, some planted in the 1940s. Vivino: 143 ratings averaging 4.1, with one 90-point critic score on file.
How much does it cost?
World average pending on Wine-Searcher. Overseas retail runs in the mid-US$40s depending on vintage (tablewineasheville.com, checked Sept 2026).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb and game (deer, etc.). With intensity at 4.1/5, it holds up well against well-spiced red meat dishes.
How is Gigondas different from Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Both are Grenache-centered southern Rhône reds, but Gigondas only became its own appellation in 1971, breaking off from Côtes du Rhône-Villages — a relatively young status compared with Châteauneuf. The cooler microclimate under the Dentelles de Montmirail often gives Gigondas more retained acidity than Châteauneuf.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Vintage & Vine — Domaine Saint-Damien
- Wikipedia — Gigondas AOC
- Wikipedia — Dentelles de Montmirail
- Table Wine Asheville — Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes
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Tasted the same dayAntinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
★★★★★Tasted the same dayVieux Château Gaubert, Graves Rouge 1999
★★½☆☆Tasted the same dayArnaud Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 2017
★★★★☆Same producerMoillard, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1997
★★★★½Same producerAndré Perret, Condrieu 2014
★★★½☆Same producer