Domaine Gallety
COTES DU VIVARAIS
Does describing Domaine Gallety as ‘the best estate in the Côtes du Vivarais’ smack of faint praise? If so, it isn’t meant to – the Gallety family might be based in a little-known sector of the southern Rhône, but they’re making wines that wouldn’t look out of place in a lineup from a much grander appellation.
We’re at the southernmost tip of the Ardèche here – a hotbed of creativity – still in the southern Rhône, but only just. Alain Gallety and his son David-Alexandre are making a tight range of red wines, all blends of Syrah and Grenache, that combine classicism with flair. Stylistically, if you imagine a cross between Lirac and Cornas, then you’re getting there.
The organically farmed vineyards surround their farmhouse, just a stone’s throw from the Rhône river. Picked by hand, the grapes tumble straight into the cement tanks under their home for fermentation, before being matured in neutral oak for up to two years. A personal favourite is the Domaine Gallety Rouge, an inexpensive wine that neatly illustrates their style and can age for a decade. Their Syrah-heavy La Syrare needs a decade to develop, but when ready it can go head-to-head with heavyweights from the northern Rhône.
Domaine Gallety, La Syrare,
Côtes du Vivarais 2017 94
£47.50-£ 53.17 (ib) Cru, Starling Wines,
Vine Trail, Wineye
Brambly and pure, with a hint of smoky reduction for now, and a meaty backnote, like medium-rare steak. Great tannic finesse, and freshness at its core. A perfectly balanced, richly textured wine that is enjoyable now, but will take on real complexity in time; if you can, start drinking this vintage from 2026 when it will be more obviously worthy of its high score. 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache, from 50-year-old vines grown on deep clay soils, yields of 20hl/ha. Fermented in concrete, aged in old barrels for 18-20 months. Organic. Drink 2021-2030 Alc 13.5%