Maison Brotte La Marasque Gigondas 2017
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Jeb
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Robert
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James
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Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dark ruby color. Good intensity with notes of spices, red stone fruits, vanilla, liquorice and raisins. Complex, powerful and generous with hints of cherry liqueur, black and red fruit jam. This flamboyant wine shows perfect harmony between nose and palate.
Enjoy with wild boar terrine, beef stew with carrots, poultry dishes, tuna steak in red wine sauce. This Gigondas matches also spicy dishes such as Indian and Mexican cuisine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Hints of preserved strawberry and cassis are accented by clove, nutmeg and shaved black pepper in this fruity, spicy sip. A blend of Grenache (70%) and Syrah (30%) sourced from sand and marl soils, it's unctuously ripe but fresh, too. The finish lingers on neatly integrated tannins.
Editor's Choice
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Jeb Dunnuck
A smoking good effort based on 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, the 2017 Gigondas La Marasque from Brotte boasts a vivid ruby color as well as stacked notes of blackberries, toasted bread, spice box, and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, loaded with fruit, yet also beautifully balanced, with ripe tannins, it’s well worth seeking out.
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Wine Spectator
Offers a delicious core of freshly crushed plum, blackberry and raspberry fruit, laced with subtle alder, iron and rooibos tea notes on the mouthwatering finish. Understated in style despite the range. Grenache and Syrah.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mainly aged in foudres, Brotte's 2017 Gigondas la Marasque was a nice surprise to emerge from this year's blind tastings. Hints of rose petals and blood oranges accent raspberries on the nose of this 70-30 blend of Grenache and Syrah. It's full-bodied and concentrated, supple and creamy on the mid-palate, then turns silky on the long, peppery and mouthwatering finish.
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James Suckling
Blueberry, red-plum and fresh-pastry aromas lead to a very juicy, fleshy and richly fruited palate that carries a smooth build to a fresh, lively finish.
Other Vintages
2020-
James
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Spectator -
James
Suckling
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Wilfred
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Enthusiast -
Robert
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James
Suckling
Located in Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1931, the Brotte family own 3 exceptional estates in the Southern Rhone Valley. Here, Grenache is king and flourishes with its expressive fruit and is masterfully blended with Syrah and Mourvedre to add freshness and structure. Focused on protecting the environment, all Brotte Family estates are certified Sustainable by the Terra Vitis organization. As well as estate-grown wines, Maison Brotte collaborates with other growers to produce top quality wines from other appellations, including Condrieu, Côte Rôtie, Gigondas and Côtes de Provence. Their entire portfolio is consistently highly rated by the industries top publications and always reliable.
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.