DOMAINE GALLETY
OF THE VIVARAIS
by Dixon Brooke
Gallety perfectly represents what we try to do as importers of fine wine: not only bring you the best from the known terroirs of France and Italy, but also find you the terroirs that are not known, or have been forgotten, and discover the best growers with the best chance to harness the full potential of their land. We sensed something special when we first tasted the Gallety wines from the 2005 vintage, and it has been exciting to collaborate with this domaine and watch them continue to grow and improve.
Domaine Gallety’s terroir is special, and unique due to its geographical niche. The appellation, Côtes du Vivarais, in the department of the Ardèche, is named after the nearby town of Viviers, which sits alongside the Rhône River and was strategically important to both the Gauls and the Romans. Vinously speaking, it is just between the northern Rhône and the southern Rhône viticultural areas, between Cornas and Avignon. Geologically, the vineyards are planted in pure white limestone, quite a contrast to the granite farther north and the alluvial soil farther south. The Galletys grow Syrah and Grenache and blend them into this one wine. You’ll find both northern and southern Rhône characteristics, but generally it is cooler and fresher than its southern brothers, with a bit more body and flesh than you generally find in the north. The vineyards have been worked organically for four decades. If you’ve ever had a wine from the high-altitude slopes of Mount Ventoux, you may find a similar chalky streak of freshness here in the Vivarais. While a real pleasure to drink now, the well-preserved Gallety bottles from the 1980s prove these wines to be wonderful cellar candidates also, at a great price.
2011 CÔTES DU VIVARAIS ROUGE
$29.00 per bottle $313.20 per case