The entry-level wine from this benchmark estate is a prime example of the next level that the Gaubys are working at. An “entry-level” wine shouldn’t be this good, yet here we are. Most Syrah from younger vines with Grenache and a dash of Carignan from near 100-year-old vines thrown in, the 2022 Calcinaires is a gorgeous, immediately charming expression that showcases this forgotten part of France in beautiful relief. Super-pure aromas of both dried and ripe cherry, licorice, and pure schist pop from the glass with fantastic definition. A little air darkens the fruit and brings out contrasting notes of iron and lavender. The medium-weight palate is suave and velvety through and through, with a supremely juicy core of tart currant, forest berry, and lavender. The foundation displays both the granite and limestone soils with fantastic clarity, while the structure and texture never lose their poise through the medium-long, graceful finish. A true example of great viticulture and winemaking coming together in the bottle. You could easily cellar it, but why deny yourself the pleasure?
93 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 France Buyer (Feb 2026)
Gérard and Lionel Gauby, the very talented father and son team here, farm their vineyards biodynamically and make some of the most brilliant wines in Fance that virtually no one ever hears about! Their approach is utterly classical, with fermentations done with indigenous yeasts, with no chapitalization or acidification and bottling without fining or filtration. Their Calcinaires Rouge is crafted from a cépages of carignan, grenache, mourvčdre and syrah, with the oldest vines that go into this cuvée more than ninety years of age and everything farmed biodynamically for decades. The wine is raised in cement vats. The 2022 version tips the scales at an even thirteen percent octane and delivers a superb, refined bouquet of red berries, a touch of fruitcake, chalky minerality, chicory, spiced meats, bonfire and a gentle topnote of garrigue. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and tangy, with a good core of fruit, excellent soil signature, moderate tannins and a long, beautifully balanced and very promising, complex finish. This is a properly structured young wine in the 2022 vintage and will need a bit of bottle age before it starts to drink with generosity.
92 points, John Gilman, View From The Cellar (Oct 2025)
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