Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Gigondas La Colline is a terrific success in the vintage and has a pretty, elegant, fresher style as well as perfumed notes of black raspberries, redcurrants, Provençal herbs, flowers, and pepper. All Grenache from a tiny parcel of clay and limestone soils, it's medium-bodied, has soft, fine-grained tannins, and outstanding length. It will drink beautifully over the coming decade.
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Vinous
The 2021 Gigondas La Colline mixes juicy raspberry, red currant and forest strawberry with traces of orange blossom, accented by spicy undertones. Refined and inviting, this full-bodied 2021 red flawlessly integrates its 15.1% alcohol and delivers solid flavor concentration. At least two more years in bottle should tame the grippy tannins. The fruit for this bottling was harvested fairly late—the 15th of October.
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Wine Spectator
A supremely elegant version, showing expert balance between its earth and fruit elements. Incense and dusty earth notes surround flavors of freshly crushed blackberry and mulled cherry, invigorated with blood orange acidity. Bolts of iron anchor this red firmly, with finely sculpted red tea–edged tannins and mineral energy humming from start to finish. Drink now through 2032.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
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.