Winemaker Notes
Gigondas 2020 presents a beautiful purplish robe, captivating at first glance. The nose is intense, showcasing dominant aromas of stone fruits, licorice, and delicate forest floor scents, creating a complex and inviting bouquet. The 2020 vintage in the Southern Rhône was marked by ideal ripening conditions, with warm days and cool nights lending remarkable balance and concentration to the wines. On the palate, it reveals itself as generous, powerful, and full-bodied, with a long and elegant finish that lingers gracefully. The attack is bold and refined, supported by well-integrated tannins that add structure and sophistication, making for a harmonious and memorable tasting experience.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Notes of cassis, mulberry, garrigue and sweet spices preface the 2020 Gigondas, a medium- to full-bodied, supple and charming wine with a layered, delicately tensile profile. It’s framed by fine-grained tannins and lifted by notes of pepper and spice, concluding with a firm, savory finish that hints at the presence of Mourvèdre. This is a beautifully balanced Gigondas with the depth and structure to evolve gracefully over the coming decade.
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James Suckling
Here's an excellent introduction to Gigondas with the richness and spice, plus the ample tannins we expect from this appellation. Long, well-structured finish with excellent balance. A cuvee of 70% grenache, 20% syrah and 10% mourvedre that was aged completely in large oak foudre. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
A winey version, with steeped cherry and kirsch, this is ripe and broad, starting off glossy and then reined in by cashmere-fine tannins that give real textural framework. A modern, stylish, full-bodied red that's very well-executed, with roasted apple wood in the background. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2030.
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Vinous
Ripe strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, dried herbs and a touch of cedar introduce the 2020 Gigondas. Concentrated and expressive, the 2020 is a classic rendition of this red that’s going to drink well over the next five years. A savory finish of good length rounds it up.
The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient village of Ampuis, home of the wines of the Côte-Rôtie. In these vineyards that are over 2400 years old, you can still see the small terraced walls characteristic of the Roman period. Etienne Guigal arrived in this region in 1923 at the age of 14. He made wine for over 67 vintages and, at the beginning of his career, participated in the development of the Vidal-Fleury establishment.
Despite his young age, Marcel Guigal took over from his father in 1961 when the latter was victim to a brutal illness rendering him blind. Marcel's hard work and perseverance enabled the Guigals to buy out Vidal-Fleury in 1984, although the establishment retains its own identity and commercial autonomy. In 2000, the Guigals purchased the Jean-Louis Grippat estate in Saint-Joseph and Hermitage, as well as the Domaine de Vallouit in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage.
In the cellars of the Guigal estate in Ampuis, the northern appellations of the Rhône Valley are produced and aged. These are the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. The great appellations of the Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Tavel and Côtes-du-Rhône, are also aged in the Ampuis cellars.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
The Southern Rhône region of Gigondas extends northwest from the notably jagged wall of mountains called the Dentelles di Montmirail, whose highest point climbs to about 2,600 feet. The region and its wines have much in common with the neighboring Chateauneuf-du-Pape except that the vineyards of Gigondas exist at higher elevation and its soils, comprised mainly of crumbled limestone from the Dentelles, often produce a more dense and robust Grenache-based red wine.
The region has a history of fine winemaking, extending back to Roman times. But by the 20th century, Gigondas was merely lumped into the less distinct zone of Côtes du Rhône Villages. However, it was first among these satellite villages to earn its own appellation, which occurred in 1971.
Gigondas reds must be between 50 to 100% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre comprising the bulk of the remainder of the blend. They tend express rustic flavors and aromas of wild blackberry, raspberry, fig, plum, as well as juniper, dried herbs, anise, smoke and river rock. The best are bold but balanced, and finish with impressively sexy and velvety tannins.
The Gigondas appellation also produces rosé but no white wines.