2016 Domaine du Terme Vacqueyras 750 ml

“Slam dunk.” That’s how Vinous summarized 2016 in the Southern Rhône, a year that is shaping up to be a landmark vintage for the area’s best Crus, and for once the critics are in agreement: Decanter described the region’s 2016 harvest as “one of the best vintages of the past few decades,” while Jeb Dunnuck was just as emphatic, declaring that, “2016 is an extraordinary vintage for the Southern Rhône Valley, and you are going to want these wines in your cellar.” On Vacqueyras, Dunnuck had more specific praise: “the top wines are gorgeous, with approachable, voluptuous, and sexy profiles that drink beautifully for upward of a decade.” Domaine de Terme Vacqueyras deserves its reputation as one of those top wines.

Jeb Dunnuck, Parker’s longtime critic, described this 2016 Terme bottling as “terrific,” combining “excellent purity” with “garrigue, crushed rocks, and ripe black fruits” into a juicy, intriguing red that is drinking “nicely right out of the gate.”

The focus for decades at Domaine de Terme has been on the purity of expression, adapting to the unique characteristics of each vintage. Nestled on fewer than eight acres of limestone and clay in the stunning Montmirail Mountains foothills, Terme’s 50+-year-old vines are sustainably farmed. Those old vines are tended by fourth-generation, 30-year winemaker veteran Anne-Marie Gaudin, assisted by her father Rolland. Terme’s wine-making approach is modern and gentle, and intuitively steeped in the region’s traditions: hand-harvesting, 6-8 months in large oak barrel before two years in tank, and bottling without filtration to retain maximum color and aromatic complexity. The result is a Vacqueyras with rich, bold, concentrated fruitiness, elegantly tempered by a pure, cashmere texture.

Vacqueyras sits in the Rhône Valley between the prestigious areas of Beaumes-de-Venise and Gigondas. One look at the rolled stones that liberally cover its pebbly, clay-filled soils, and you'll understand how this "valley of the rocks" got its name—and why its location is so great for ripening finessed red wine grapes.

The 2016 vintage in the Southern Rhône removed of the burden of compromise: the wines are delicious on release, but will clearly provide excellent drinking—and reward patient cellaring—for years to come. With back-to-back critically acclaimed vintages, Southern Rhône crus like Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas are already commanding (and demanding) top-dollar. The 2016 Domaine de Terme Vacqueyras is your chance to drink the best without a sky-high price tag.