Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Decadent and rich red with plum and blueberry aromas. Hints of spices and walnut shell. Full body, round and silky tannins and a juicy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Gigault Cuvee Viva from the hands of Stephane Derenoncourt has an opulent, sensual bouquet with billowing crushed strawberry and Morello fruit - ostentatious at first although it finds more decorum as it mellow in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, a crisp line of acidity. I appreciate the substance here, a big mouthful of Merlot, but there is structure and grip here, with good density on the finish. Afford it 2-3 years in bottle and you will have a delicious Côtes de Blaye.
Barrel Sample: 89-91 -
Vinous
Gigault's Cuvee Viva is a real overachiever in this vintage. Plump, flavorful and complex - especially in its peer group - the Cuvee Viva is a terrific, budget-friendly Bordeaux. Sweet red cherry, plum, tobacco, dried flowers and licorice add character and nuance throughout. Drink this 100% Merlot over the next handful of years.
Rating: 90+ -
Wine Spectator
Fresh, with a racy edge, as a tangy mineral streak enlivens the core of red currant, plum and cherry fruit flavors. Light tobacco and singed vanilla notes score the finish. Shows good purity.
The 53 acre, Chateau Les Grands Marechaux vineyard is planted to 84% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. The terroir is clay, limestone and sandy soils. The average age of the vines is 17 years. To produce the wine, the fruit is whole berry fermented in temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks with a 30-day maceration. Malolactic fermentation is performed in French oak barrels. The wine making and vineyard management of Chateau Les Grands Marechaux is consulted by Stephane Derenoncourt who is well known for working with numerous estates in the Right Bank of Bordeaux. Les Grands Marechaux is another contender for the best value Bordeaux wine produced today.
Etienne Barre and Christophe Reboul Salze bought Chateau Les Grands Marechaux located in the Cotes de Blaye appellation in 1997. However, this is not their only vineyard in the region. They also own Chateau Chateau Gigault, which makes the popular Cuvee Viva. They recently added to their portfolio of Bordeaux value wine producing estates with the purchase of Chateau Belle Coline. Aside from being a Bordeaux winemaker, Christophe Reboul is also well known as a Bordeaux wine negociant with his company, The Wine Merchant.
In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.