Wine Portfolio : Rhone Valley

Gigondas

Gigondas is one of the original villages that are their own appellation. When I first lived in Vaucluse (1972), the locals considered Gigondas to be the best and favorite local wine. They considered Chateauneuf a wine for the English and the Europeans. A traditional Gigondas, such as Tourade and Mas des Collines, is rustic, faithful to its terroir.

J et R imports several excellent Gigondas estates:

Domaine le Mas des Collines
Chateau de Montmirail
Domaine de la Tourade

Domaine le Mas des Collines

Fiche Technique:

Grapes: 80% grenache, 20% syrah
Fermentation: pumping over 3 times a day for 18-28 days in steel; temperature maintained at 30-32 degrees
Filter: none
Aging: 12-18 months in cement and old oak
Notes: 100% destemmed; whole grape fermentation

For our retail partners:

Shelf talkers - Download PDFs to print and use in your store displays

Label sheets - Download a PDF of these labels

Gigondas rouge 1999

Big, gamey, rustic -- a true Gigondas. Garrigue spices. Soft but excellent balance and structure. It possesses low acidity, but attractive flesh and concentration. 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. Raised 2 years in concrete cuves, with several cuves aged in old oak foudres. Fined but not filtered. 7000 cases annually. J et R Selections is the exclusive importer of this estate for the US.

Chateau de Montmirail

Fiche Technique:

Grapes: 75% grenache, 15% syrah, 10% mourvedre.
Fermentation: pumping over once a day for 12-14 days.
Filter: slight
Aging: 12-18 months; enamelled cement
Notes: Variable destemming: 25% grenache, 100% syrah, mourvedre if dry and/or green; 30 yr. vines

For our retail partners:

Shelf talkers - Download PDFs to print and use in your store displays

Label sheets - Download a PDF of these labels

Gigondas rouge 2000

Deep purple with a full soft black fruit bouquet. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and attractive forward fruit. Soft long follow-through. Enjoyable to drink now. No oak. Fined but not filtered. Grenache 75%, Syrah 15%, and Mourvedre 10%. 1000 cases made. In Hour Detroit, Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon says "Fruit is the charmer here, waves of super-ripe red raspberry and cherry preserves. Warmth and tannin keep the wine from simplicity. The nose gives a blast of rosemary and anise; what a great reflection of southern French 'garrigue,' the scent of dried-herb laden breezes." Gold medal at Tasters Guild International Wine Tasting 2002. J et R Selections shares the US market with several other importers.

Find out more about this estate...

Domaine de la Tourade

Fiche Technique:

Grapes: 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% mourvedre
Fermentation: pumping over once or twice a day for 7+ days; cement
Filter: none
Aging: 12-18 months; small old oak cask
Notes: No destemming
Age of the Vines :
Mourvedre & sirah: 20+ years
Grenache : 50+ years in cuvée traditionnelle et 70 ans+ in cuvee Font des Aieûx

For our retail partners:

Shelf talkers - Download PDFs to print and use in your store displays

Label sheets - Download a PDF of these labels

J et R Selections is the exclusive importer of this estate for the US. Traditional style, neither fined nor filtered, not destemmed, and aged in old oak foudres. Grenache 80%, Syrah 10%, and Mourvedre 10%.

Gigondas rouge 2000

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [87-90 rating]: "Red-ruby. Reticent, brooding nose of black cherry, roasted red fruits and roasted meat; hints at liqueur-like ripeness. Sweet and fat. Finishes with ripe tannins and strong, persistent fruit."

Gigondas rouge 1999

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [89 rating]: "Moderately saturated medium red. Cherry syrup and high-toned oak on the nose. Ripe and fleshy, with chewy concentration and bright firming acidity. Spicy and pliant. Finishes with lovely ripe tannins and very good length."

Gigondas rouge cuvée Font des Aieûx 2000

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [92 rating]: "Ruby-red. Superripe aromas of cherry, raspberry, currant and mocha; real grenache en surmaturite. Silky, layered, concentrated and large-scaled, with perfectly integrated acids giving shape to the lush flavors. Wonderfully seamless Gigondas, finishing with very ripe, granular tannins and superb persistence."

A Guide Hachette two stars [** rating].

Gigondas rouge cuvée Font des Aieûx 1998

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate [90-93 rating]: "This wine, which comes from limestone terraces where the vines have an average age of 70 years, is composed of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah aged completely in foudre. One of the most impressive 1998s, it possesses a black/ruby/purple color, staggering richness, and a viscous, glycerin-charged, huge, concentrated, explosively rich personality. The unctuous texture and copious quantities of black fruits, cedar, spice box, and licorice combine to create a potentially profound Gigondas that will be drinkable in 2-3 years and keep for 15+."

Wine Portfolio : Rhone Valley Gigondas Gigondas is one of the original villages that are their own appellation. When I first lived in Vaucluse (1972), the locals considered Gigondas to be the best and favorite local wine. They considered Chateauneuf a wine for the English and the Europeans. A traditional Gigondas, such as Tourade and Mas des Collines, is rustic, faithful to its terroir. J et R imports several excellent Gigondas estates: Domaine le Mas des Collines Chateau de Montmirail Domaine de la Tourade

	Domaine le Mas des Collines
Fiche Technique: Grapes: 80% grenache, 20% syrah Fermentation: pumping over 3 times a day for 18-28 days in steel; temperature maintained at 30-32 degrees Filter: none Aging: 12-18 months in cement and old oak Notes: 100% destemmed; whole grape fermentation For our retail partners: Shelf talkers - Download PDFs to print and use in your store displays Label sheets - Download a PDF of these labels	Gigondas rouge 1999 Big, gamey, rustic -- a true Gigondas. Garrigue spices. Soft but excellent balance and structure. It possesses low acidity, but attractive flesh and concentration. 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. Raised 2 years in concrete cuves, with several cuves aged in old oak foudres. Fined but not filtered. 7000 cases annually. J et R Selections is the exclusive importer of this estate for the US.

	Chateau de Montmirail
Fiche Technique: Grapes: 75% grenache, 15% syrah, 10% mourvedre. Fermentation: pumping over once a day for 12-14 days. Filter: slight Aging: 12-18 months; enamelled cement Notes: Variable destemming: 25% grenache, 100% syrah, mourvedre if dry and/or green; 30 yr. vines For our retail partners: Shelf talkers - Download PDFs to print and use in your store displays Label sheets - Download a PDF of these labels	Gigondas rouge 2000 Deep purple with a full soft black fruit bouquet. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and attractive forward fruit. Soft long follow-through. Enjoyable to drink now. No oak. Fined but not filtered. Grenache 75%, Syrah 15%, and Mourvedre 10%. 1000 cases made. In Hour Detroit, Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon says "Fruit is the charmer here, waves of super-ripe red raspberry and cherry preserves. Warmth and tannin keep the wine from simplicity. The nose gives a blast of rosemary and anise; what a great reflection of southern French 'garrigue,' the scent of dried-herb laden breezes." Gold medal at Tasters Guild International Wine Tasting 2002. J et R Selections shares the US market with several other importers. Find out more about this estate...

	Domaine de la Tourade
Fiche Technique: Grapes: 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% mourvedre Fermentation: pumping over once or twice a day for 7+ days; cement Filter: none Aging: 12-18 months; small old oak cask Notes: No destemming Age of the Vines : Mourvedre & sirah: 20+ years Grenache : 50+ years in cuvée traditionnelle et 70 ans+ in cuvee Font des Aieûx For our retail partners: Shelf talkers - Download PDFs to print and use in your store displays Label sheets - Download a PDF of these labels	J et R Selections is the exclusive importer of this estate for the US. Traditional style, neither fined nor filtered, not destemmed, and aged in old oak foudres. Grenache 80%, Syrah 10%, and Mourvedre 10%. Gigondas rouge 2000 Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [87-90 rating]: "Red-ruby. Reticent, brooding nose of black cherry, roasted red fruits and roasted meat; hints at liqueur-like ripeness. Sweet and fat. Finishes with ripe tannins and strong, persistent fruit." Gigondas rouge 1999 Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [89 rating]: "Moderately saturated medium red. Cherry syrup and high-toned oak on the nose. Ripe and fleshy, with chewy concentration and bright firming acidity. Spicy and pliant. Finishes with lovely ripe tannins and very good length." Gigondas rouge cuvée Font des Aieûx 2000 Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [92 rating]: "Ruby-red. Superripe aromas of cherry, raspberry, currant and mocha; real grenache en surmaturite. Silky, layered, concentrated and large-scaled, with perfectly integrated acids giving shape to the lush flavors. Wonderfully seamless Gigondas, finishing with very ripe, granular tannins and superb persistence." A Guide Hachette two stars [** rating]. Gigondas rouge cuvée Font des Aieûx 1998 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate [90-93 rating]: "This wine, which comes from limestone terraces where the vines have an average age of 70 years, is composed of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah aged completely in foudre. One of the most impressive 1998s, it possesses a black/ruby/purple color, staggering richness, and a viscous, glycerin-charged, huge, concentrated, explosively rich personality. The unctuous texture and copious quantities of black fruits, cedar, spice box, and licorice combine to create a potentially profound Gigondas that will be drinkable in 2-3 years and keep for 15+."