Winemaker Notes
The Plateau has been produced since the arrival of our parcel workshop in 2016. Due to its low volume, it is now vinified in open half-muids. Very old Mourvèdre, almost pure, full of multiple grape varieties (Grenache/Syrah/Cinsault/Counoise/Clairette). Whole harvest. Length, racy, tension, minerality. The plateau is more monolithic than the Grenaches, but what potential for aging. 18 months of rearing in very old half-muids (600L).
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The nearly 100-year-old Mourvèdre vines cropped a mere 10 hectoliters per hectare for the 2019 Gigondas Le Plateau, meaning there are just three demi-muids. It's a powerful, richly tannic version of this wine, full-bodied but not inelegant, marrying plummy fruit with spicy complexities reminiscent of tree bark, star anise, clove and more. While reasonably open as a barrel sample, I suspect it will close down and require several years of aging after release yet be capable of drinking well for two decades.
Range: 95-97 -
Wine Spectator
This shows a prominent leather-wrapped and cassis-soaked rosemary flavor profile, while bitter cherry and plum fruit notes make a bid for attention. The finish is paved with warm stone and smoldering garrigue accents, along with a long, lingering tobacco edge. A Bandol-esque version of Gigondas. Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache and Clairette. Best from 2025.
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Jeb Dunnuck
All Mourvèdre, the 2019 Gigondas Le Plateau is a full-bodied, rich, powerful wine. Revealing a deep purple/plum color as well as lots of darker fruits, new leather, graphite, and ground pepper aromatics, it has masses of ripe tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. It’s a seriously good wine, yet 4-5 years of bottle age are recommended. This cuvée comes from a single parcel of vines planted in 1922. Best after 2026. Rating: 95+
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Decanter
Beautiful, nose-filling Mourvèdre fragrance, liquorice, violets and blackberries smashed together, with a back note of sweet turned earth. Full-bodied and concentrated, the acidity also is quite marked. Intense, almost too intense to drink, it's so concentrated. A highly impressive wine to taste, but the leathery tannins will take time to soften though it has the freshness to see it through. Could be very interesting when fully mature. Very hard to judge from barrel at this early stage - will it ever be truly elegant? Time will tell – either way, it certainly has a wow-factor. A single vineyard selection of about one hectare of Mourvèdre planted in 1922, now in organic conversion, very old vines on blue marls and limestone on a north-facing plot. Hand-picked, food-crushed. Wine is aged for 18 months in three very old demi-muids.
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.