E. Guigal

Gigondas 2015

Gigondas

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The last decade has brought vastly increased interest to Gigondas, as the quality potential has been increasingly recognized. The Guigals have been deeply involved in Gigondas for well over 50 years, and it brings them great pleasure to see the increasing interest and appreciation of the appellation. We consider Guigal’s Gigondas the “quiet storm” among their village wines. While they have been widely known for their Châteauneuf-du Pape also produced in the Southern Rhône, and they are increasingly important in Crozes-Hermitage in the North, the Gigondas is the wine that when poured jumps up and down and demands attention. It’s a wine of sheer pleasure, full of ripe fruit, and with a depth and even slightly brooding sense that comes from the important Mourvèdre component. Yet is has refinement, complexity, length, and has a terrific ability to age.

Vineyard

The vineyards of Gigondas are planted on hillsides at the foot of Mont Ventoux, directly north-east of the town of Orange in the southern Rhône Valley. The dry, stony slopes produce substantial wines that are deep in color, with flavors of ripe summer fruits and savory herbs.

Winemaking

Guigal selects wines from small domaines to produce a blend which is true to the appellation, yet polished, refined, and capable of aging many years. The wines see a traditional lengthy maceration and two years of aging in oak foudres, of which 50% are new. The blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre.

Vintage

2015 is the best overall year in the Southern Rhône Valley since 2010, with good quantities of healthy fruit, ample ripeness – the challenge was managing the long, hot season- and many pockets where the wines go beyond good to very good and outstanding. The generous richness is tempered by Guigal’s long aging and development of the savory, spicy characteristics of the fruit they select. In our opinion, this 2015 Gigondas will go down as one of the greatest Guigal has produced yet!

Tasting Note

Pretty purple, with an intense nose dominated by stone fruits, licorice and savory garrigue notes. On the palate the wine is generous and elegant, offering cranberry and cherry notes that are accented by hints of clove and allspice. Overall a direct expression, lovely structure, and good tannins, present but supple. This is a wine we keep coming back to again and again!

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah

Appellation

Gigondas

Suggested Retail Price

$37.00

Reviews

"Ripe and brambly red plum"

James Suckling - October 30, 2019 "This offers ripe and brambly red plum and darker berry aromas with earth, pepper and spice, too. The palate has quite a punchy feel with meaty tannins, carrying darker plum and berry flavors."

"Sleek and open"

Wine Spectator - July 26, 2019 "Sleek and open in feel, featuring racy red currant and damson plum coulis flavors, inlaid with sandalwood and rooibos tea hints, with chalky minerality. Not big, but balanced and focused. Drink now through 2026"

"Remarkable elegance"

Wine Advocate - December 6, 2018 “The 2015 Gigondas is remarkable for its elegance. Sourced largely from higher-altitude vineyards, it’s evolved in a red-fruited direction, offering cranberry and cherry notes accented by hints of clove and allspice. Medium to full-bodied, with a creamy mid-palate and silky tannins on the finish, it drinks well now and should continue to do so for at least another 6-7 years.”

Trade Materials

Other Wines by this Producer

Côtes du Rhône Rouge

Given that this particular wine can be the introduction to the entire Rhône Valley for a drinker, as well as the position they occupy in the Rhône, it is not enough for the Guigals to make a good Côtes du Rhône. They are relentlessly driven to produce a distinctive and outstanding wine that drives interest in exploring the entirety of the Rhône.

Côtes du Rhône Blanc

Guigal’s Côtes du Rhône Blanc both sets and steps outside the standard for the appellation and showcases one of the great secrets of the Guigal family: their specialization in the great white Rhône varieties. While only 8% of the Rhône's production is white, a full 25% of Guigal’s production is white and they are today the single largest producer of whites in the Rhône Valley.

Côtes du Rhône Rosé

The Guigal family has made serious dry rosé wines since the 1940s, and their Côtes du Rhône Rosé, like all their Côtes du Rhône wines, is humble in name only. The wine bursts with irresistible fresh red fruits and yet is also serious and satisfying. While this Rosé is always a lovely aperitif, its intensity and richness make it perfect for the table, and it pairs well with all manner of cuisines. And starting with the 2020 vintage, the wine has a stunning new proprietary bottle: a subtle enhancement for an already elegant wine!

Saint Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice

Saint-Joseph

Guigal’s Vignes de l’Hospice is one of the finest sites in the Northern Rhone Valley. This steeply terraced vineyard used to be divided into three, but Guigal now owns majority of this parcel in order to restore perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. In fact, Guigal is often asked when they will produce a fourth “LaLa,” and their response is that their fourth single vineyard phenomenon of the Northern Rhone is already being produced: the Vignes de l’Hospice.

Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Rouge

Saint-Joseph

A result of its quality, Guigal’s Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Rouge comes from the “Saint-Joseph” vineyard that gives the appellation its name. This site convinced the Guigals to work in Saint-Joseph and help to restore the historic perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. The 100% Syrah wine has complex and deep black fruit, floral, spice and mineral characteristics. Despite its concentration and powerful attack, the wine retains the trademark elegance that Saint-Joseph offers.

Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Blanc

Saint-Joseph

A result of its quality, Guigal’s Saint-Joseph Blanc Lieu Dit comes from the “Saint-Joseph” vineyard that gives the appellation its name. This site convinced the Guigals to work in Saint-Joseph and help to restore the historic perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. Saint-Joseph Blanc is a serious wine, with weight and complexity, and is deeply reflective of its vineyard sites. A seamless balance of freshness and fruitiness, pleasure and interest, and flavors and structure. Guigal’s specialty in whites is especially evident in this wine, as it is almost a deceptively serious wine.

Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc

Hermitage

Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.

Ermitage Ex Voto Rouge

Hermitage

Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Guigal produces an intensely concentrated, inviting and complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is almost unique to the region today. Their passion for Châteauneuf, the leading appellation of the Southern Rhône, runs as deeply as that for their home sites in the Northern Rhône. The combination of working with top fruit that has perfect ripeness, along with their extraordinary patience in the cellar, results in rich and full, yet savory, spicy, seamless and balanced wines. Wines to enjoy immediately but capable of aging, and, above all, wines that leave you wanting more.

Condrieu La Doriane

Condrieu

La Doriane is a luxury cuvée of Condrieu that the Guigals have produced since the 1994 vintage. A great success since the first vintage, the wine always seems richly oaked and very fruity when young, transforming in 3-4 years into a seamlessly complex, aromatic and vibrant wine. La Doriane contradicts the accepted wisdom that Condrieu does not age well.