Winemaker Notes
Aromas of black fruits, pink and white peppers; flavors of blackberries and blue plums. Unctuous texture with silky tannins.
Pairs well with grilled steak, spicy pork sausages, and North African inspired cuisine such as lamb tagine.
Blend: 74% Grenache, 26% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Gigondas starts off with lovely floral and tea-like scents accent aromas of red raspberries. It's full-bodied and seems supple at first, but then clamps down on the finish with firm grip and briny intensity. It's 76% Grenache and 24% Syrah, aged in foudre and tank.
Range: 91-94 -
Wine Enthusiast
Freshness and vitality abound in this zingy blend of 74% Grenache and 26% Syrah sourced from high-altitude clay and limestone soils. Ripe plum and blackberry flavors are intensely ripe but almost electric, struck by cooling mineral tones and a pleasant bite of cranberry acidity. The finish is long and invigorating. It’s at peak now through 2027.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 74% Grenache and 26% Syrah, the 2017 Gigondas Tradition is a medium-bodied, textbook red that’s made in a slightly more forward, charming style than I’m used to from this traditional estate. Sweet raspberry fruits, garrigue, licorice, and spice notes all emerge from the glass, and it has considerable polish and elegance. My money is on it drinking nicely right out of the gate.
Range: 90-92
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.