Take home messages:
1. Decant, decant, decant
2. Consider your glassware.
Gigondas, in the Southern Rhone, has a reputation as the little Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is considered mix between the distinctive characters that make Châteauneuf-du-Pape so famous but with comparative value. Gigondas is planted to 70% Grenache with the remaining portion split between Shiraz and Mourvedre with 1% plated to Cinsault. The 2012 Guigal itself is a 60% Grenache, 20% Shiraz, 20% Mourvedre (GSM) blend. Being a GSM I had a pre-conception of how this wine would look. However, upon tasting I was reminded of something from my Grenache history, sometime Grenache can look a little pinot-esqe (that’s a thing). This may tie in with the fact Gigondas, with its increased elevation, in considered to have more finesse and perfume that its Châteauneuf-du-Pape cousin.
On the nose, there is sweet raspberry and cherry fruit, a little fruitcake and vanillin oak. Upon consumption, the sweet fruit remains with some fine dusty tannins. However, some alcohol heat on the back palate stops the wine from flowing.
I’m giving this wine a ‘didn’t quite get it’ out of 5
Peace and Stay Awesome,
Craig Thompson, The Booze Hunter
