Lavau Gigondas 2016
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James
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Serve at 17-18°C to allow the wine to express its full complexity. Decanting before serving would also be beneficial. This Gigondas can be paired with guinea fowl, coq au vin, a beef stew or casserole, and other prepared dishes, even if spicy or highly seasoned.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Intense, lifted aromas of black cassis and plum are tinged with earth tones in this full-bodied, penetrating wine. A blend of mostly Grenache and Syrah with a small proportion of Mourvèdre, it's rounded on the palate but firm in minerality and tannins. A rich, densely structured wine that's approachable now but should improve through 2028. Cellar Selection.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and alluring, with waves of dark plum and warmed raspberry puree gliding through, inlaid with savory, chalky mineral and smoldering tobacco notes. Everything meshes nicely through the lengthy finish. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2020 through 2028.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Veteran French restaurant-goers will take one sniff of the 2016 Gigondas and remember the classic table-side dessert cherries jubilee. Cinnamon shadings infuse the warm black cherry fruit in this full-bodied, velvety blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. Aged in a combination of tank and barrel, it finishes long and silky.
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James Suckling
This is very aromatic with blackberry and lavender aromas that follow through to full body, integrated and fine tannins and a flavorful finish. Tight and very pretty wine. Polished. A blend of 50% grenache, 40% syrah and 10% mourvèdre.
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Some 30 years later, Frédéric and Benoît Lavau have joined the team at their family winery which has since become a renowned and respected name in Rhone Valley winemaking. They have secured the future of their winemaking business and completed and enhanced their expertise by becoming creators of cuvees and producers. They have purchased several vineyards in the Rasteau, Valréas and Côtes du Rhône appellations and entered into partnership with the Chateau Maucoil in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
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.