Gigondas 2011

AOP Gigondas Red

Awards

90 pts Wine Spectator
88 pts Wine Advocate
14/20 Bettane & Desseauve

Tasting

Dark red, exhuberant nose of cocoa, spice and red fruit. Complex, ample and rich on the palate with a distinct character provided by the sandy marl terroir. The finish is mineral and bright due in part to the high-altitude vineyards.

Food & wine pairings

Roast Pigeon with grapes
Herb-roasted Rack of Lamb with summer vegetables
Porcini Risotto

Detailed information

Vintage

With a warm Spring and well saturated soils, flowering took place in favorable conditions.A rainy July delayed the maturation process but the hot August and September temperaturesevened out the ripeness in the vineyards and we witnessed an excellent level of sugar in thegrapes. Harvesting started the 20th of September for the Syrahs and the 27th of September forthe Grenaches.

Grape varieties

50% Grenache, 50% Syrah

Terroir

A blend of two terroirs:

Syrah from “La Jasse”, on limestone scree and marl from the Cretaceous period at 400m. alt (1300ft) in the Dentelles.
Grenache & Syrah from the “Montmirail” zone in sandy marl of the Oligocene period at 150m alt (500ft)

Winemaking

Manual harvesting. Crushed and destemmed. A 20-day maceration period with punch-downs and pump-overs up to 3 times a day and temperatures maintained around 28° to 30°C (82° to 86°F). Runoff and separation of the free-flow and press wines. Malolatic fermentation. Reintroduction of a portion of the press wine during the blending process. 18 months elevage : the Grenache in vat and the Syrah in barrel (new, one-year and two-year barrels).
Bottled at the Domaine in May 2013.
Prodution : 12 000 bottles