Domaine Giraud was established in 1974 by the husband and wife team of Pierre Giraud and Mireille Buou. Pierre (a descendant of six centuries of winemakers) and Mireille (whose family owned the village’s distillery for several generations) founded their estate with four hectares of vineyards that they’d originally sharecropped. The 1981 transformation of Mireille’s family distillery into a wine cellar ushered in the couple’s first vintage. Brother and sister, François and Marie took over in 1998 under the watchful eyes of their parents, setting their goal of producing more elegant wines with respect to their family’s traditions. Plot selection management, cellar and winery renovations and conversion to organic farming (certified in 2011) were all part of their focus as well as vineyard expansion. Today, François and Marie oversee 35 hectares of mostly old-vines, tremendously well-situated on the plateaux of le Crau, Gallimarde and Pignan.

François’ Châteauneuf-du-Pape is traditional in every sense of the word. Predominantly Grenache complemented with Syrah and Mourvèdre, this wine sings from the glass, tantalizing the senses with waves of mouthwatering stone fruits tinged with violet and hand-pinched herbs. The attack is fresh and clean, cascading across the palate with a wash of black cherry, pomegranate and apricot. This Châteauneuf-du-Pape exudes elegance from the moment it touches your lips, riding super-soft, silky tannins and a wonderfully incorporated, chiseled minerality all along its journey towards a minutes-long finish that showcases its succulence and poise. Exquisite from the moment you pop the cork, you can enjoy this beauty tonight or any night over the next 10+ years.