Winemaker Notes
It has a brilliant deep ruby red colour with intense aromas of red fruits, pepper, spice and liquorice. It’s a full bodied and powerful wine, well balanced with a very long finish. It’s a rich and elegant wine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Perfumed, with violet and incense aromas, this is heady and stylish, featuring well-defined and balanced plum, iron, cigar box and warm toasty oak notes. Texturally compelling, with subtly grippy tannins holding together the polished finish. Grenache and Syrah.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
An 80-20 blend of Grenache and Syrah, the 2019 Gigondas is fully ripe, with nuances of cola and spice bringing complexity to the scents of plums and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it boasts supple tannins and a long, creamy-textured finish. Rating: 91+
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.