Winemaker Notes
“Les Hauts de Montmirail” is Brusset’s top cuvée. The winery itself is a large and important domaine with vineyards spread through the southern Rhône, primarily in Gigondas and its neighbouring villages. It was among the first estates to introduce small barrels (barriques) for aging. After an extravagant use of wood in the early days, they have brought the marriage between wood and fruit to a nearly ideal point. Hand-sorted, crushed, de-stemmed, and cold-soaked, this wine fermented in large vats and matured in French oak barriques, half of which are new.
Blend: 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Dark plum, brambly fruit, very ripe. Full-bodied, concentrated, this speaks of old vines. Menthol, camphor and shot through with ripe, pliable, smooth and rounded tannins. Graceful arc of blue and black fruit. Freshness carries without excess in every direction. Very long finish. A veritable 'wow' wine! Blend : 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Gigondas Les Hauts De Montmirail is more classic Gigondas with its spicy red and black fruits, peppery garrigue, and chalky mineral aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, seamless, and just incredibly elegant, it shows the forward, balanced, satisfying style of the vintage perfectly. Drink bottles over the coming 10-15 years. This cuvée is the usual 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, from a terraced vineyard of limestone soils, that was destemmed and raised in 50% new French oak.
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James Suckling
Big bitter-chocolate and crushed-blackberry aromas with a touch of dry earth. Bold and self-confidently dry on the full-bodied palate, this has a major tannin structure that may soften with additional bottle maturation. Good length.
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.