Laurus
Gigondas 2012

AOP Gigondas Red

Awards

92 pts Wine Spectator
92 pts Wine Advocate
92 pts Vinous
15/20 Bettane & Desseauve
92 pts Andreas Larsson

Tasting

Rich, dark crimson colour, almost black. Intense floral and peppery nose, with notes of plum and dark chocolate. The palate is remarkably fresh and lively with a dense fruit core, fine grained tannins and a long smooth finish. (Tasted Aug. 2014)

Food & wine pairings

Venison filet with pepper sauce.
Mallard Duck with cherries.
Capon stuffed with foie gras.

Detailed information

Vintage

A dry and cold winter with many days of Mistral wind, which left the vines healthy and disease-free. Followed a very wet Spring which pushed back the flowering by 2 weeks. The summer months were hot allowing for an excellent concentration of the grapes. The harvest began on the 15th September, under warm, sunny conditions.

Grape varieties

60% Grenache, 40% Syrah

Terroir

Ancient alluvial terraces from the Quaternary period of the river Ouvèze to the west of the Appellation for the Grenache. Marly limestone soils from the Cretaceous period, in the heart of the mountains known as Dentelles de Montmirail, at 400 m of altitude for the Syrah.

Winemaking

Manual harvest. Grapes are immediately de-stemmed and crushed. The fermentation temperature was stabilized at 30 °C. Maceration lasted 28 days with regular punch-downs/rack-and-return operations for the Grenache and pumping over for the Syrah. 15 months of elevage for the Syrah wine in 275-litre oak Laurus barrels (new, 1 and 2 year-old barrels).

Production : 14,200 bottles
Bottled on : 17 July 2014

Service

Servir à 14-16 °C

Optimum maturity: 2015-2021

Degree of alcohol

14,5% vol.

Technical sheet HD label HD Packshot

Laurus

Laurus means ‘Laurel’ in Latin, a Roman symbol of excellence. Here excellence is all about “terroir”: the grapes are grown on parcels selected for their ability to express the very best of each Appellation.

The term “terroir” encompasses a soil, a climate and people. Here it is expressed through sustainable partnerships with wine-growers who share our vision. The perfect combination of grape variey & soil, the precise maturing process in unique 275l. French oak "Laurus" barrels refines the structure, producing complex wines, with plenty of character, beautiful elegance and a long ageing potential.