Press Book 2020
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Press Book Press2019 Book 2020 Gigondas,Gigondas, CruCru des Côtes-du-rhôneCôtes-du-Rhône RightRight in in the middle ofof the triangle making upup the towns of Carpentras, OrangeOrange and and Vaison-la-Romaine Vaison-la-Romaine is the isvillage the villageof Gigondas. of Gigondas. Once known Once as «known Jucunditas as « Jucunditas» which in Latin » which means in joy Latin and meansjubilation. joy and jubilation. AA villagevillage therefore therefore whose whose destiny destiny was was to cultivate to cultivate vines vines and make and makewine andwine hence and ledhence to the led development to the development of authentic ofwinemaking authentic traditionswinemaking for thetraditions following for two the thousand following years. two thousand years. ,QIDFWWKHßUVWHYHUYLQH\DUGVFDQEHWUDFHGEDFNWRYHWHUDQVIn fact the first ever vineyards can be traced back to veteransRIWKH6HFRQG of the RomanSecond Legion Roman and Legion founders and of founders the « Colonia of the Julia « Colonia Arausio Julia » who Arausio were EDVHGLQWKHWRZQRI2UDQJHGXULQJWKHVWFHQWXU\%&$VHYLG» who were based in the town of Orange during the lst centuryHQFHWKHUH B.C. DUHVWLOO*DOOR5RPDQYDWVLQWKHZLQHFHOODUVRI'RPDLQHGH6DAs evidence there are still Gallo-Roman vats in the wineLQW&RVPH cellars of Domaine de Saint Cosme. $WWKHHQGRIWKHWKFHQWXU\IROORZLQJWKHSODJXHVRISK\OOR[HUDZKLFK DWWDFNHGYLQHVDOORYHU)UDQFHROLYHJURYHVZHUHSODQWHGLQ*LJRQGDVWR UHSODFHAt the WKHend GLVHDVHGof the 19th YLQHV century, %XW HYHQ following WKH ROLYH the WUHHV plagues FRXOGQÖW of VphylloxeraXUYLYH WKH WHUULEOHwhich attacked IURVWV LQ WKHvines ZLQWHUV all over RI France, DQG olive groves 7KH\ ZHUHwere WKHU plantedHIRUH UHSODFHGRQFHDJDLQE\YLQHVDWWKHEHJLQQLQJRIWKHVin Gigondas to replace the diseased vines. But even the olive trees couldn’t survive the terrible frosts in the winters of 1929 and 1956. AndThey today were the therefore same vines replaced still dominate once again the hillsby vines of Gigondas. at the beginning Under the of LQàXHQFHRI(XJ¨QH5DVSDLOYLQHFXOWLYDWLRQWRRNRQDPRUHDJUthe 1960s. RQRPLFDO and organised dimension. And today the same vines still dominate the hills of Gigondas. Under ,IYLQHVKDYHDOZD\VSUHIHUUHGWKHVRLOVRI*LJRQGDVWKHZLQHthe influence of Eugène Raspail, vine cultivation tookLWVHOIGLGQÖW on a more JDLQUHFRJQLWLRQXQWLOZKHQLWREWDLQHGWKHDSSHOODWLRQlagronomical and organised dimension. *LJRQGDV Cru des Côtes du Rhône ». For)RUWZRWKRXVDQG\HDUVWKHYLOODJHLQWKHKHDUWRIWKH'HQWHOOIf vines two havethousand always years, preferred the village the soilsin the of heartGigondas, of the the DentellesHVGH0RQW wine itself de- MontmirailPLUDLOdidn’t OLYHGgain lived PDLQO\recognition mainly IURP from until LWV its ZLQHV 1971 wines. 7RGD\when Today, it PRUH moreobtained WKDQ than 200the200 appellationwinemakers « continueGigondas, this Cru tradition. des Côtes du Rhône ». For two thousand years, the village in the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail lived mainly from its wines. Today, more than 200 winemakers continue this tradition. Gigondas, its terroir Gigondas, its terroir 7KHThe *LJRQGDVGigondas YLQH\DUGvineyard VWUHWFKHV stretches RYHU over D a VXUIDFHsurface DUHD area RIof 1220 hectares DFUHV ,WRQO\FRYHUVWKHUXUDOGLVWULFWRI*LJRQGDVZ(3,014 acres). It only covers the rural district of Gigondas,KLFKLQWXUQLV which in SDUWRIWKH9DXFOXVHUHJLRQORFDWHGLQWKH6RXWK(DVWHUQSDUWRIWKH5K´QH turn is part of the Vaucluse region, located in the South-Eastern part Valley vineyard. of the Rhône Valley vineyard. ,WVQDWXUDOOLPLWVIROORZWKHOLQHPDGHE\WKH'HQWHOOHVGH0RQWPLUDLOWRWKH (DVWWKH2XY¨]H5LYHUWRWKH:HVWWKH7ULJQRQWRUUHQWLQWKHIts natural limits follow the line made by the Dentelles de Montmirail1RUWKDQG WKHKLOOVOHDGLQJGRZQIURPWKH'HQWHOOHVWRWKH6RXWKto the East, the Ouvèze River to the West, the Trignon torrent in the North and the hills leading clown from the Dentelles to the South. Gigondas, the magic of limestone This vineyard is unique in its diversity. Gigondas appellation wines begin on the plateau at an altitude of 100m, gently climbing up around the village to finish with abrupt slopes of up to 500m high on the areas around the Dentelles de Montmirail; incredible pyramids of grey calcareous rocks cutting the Provençal blue sky. The Dentelles de Montmirail were formed by the sea over 200 million years ago. Rising to 630m at the Rocher du Turc, they are a rich example of geological history. They are a combination of long periods of sedimentation and of the tectonic period. Situated on the fault known as the “Nîmes Fault”, the Dentelles mountain range emerged at the same time as the Pyrenees Mountain and the Alps. This geological originality is very rare in the Rhône Valley. The resulting soils produce structured and unique terroirs for very complex wines. Geology and soils of Gigondas Dentelles Sarrasines 6 COLLUVIAL FAN : developed 7 TERRACE OF OUVEZE RIVER by the small stream known as lower CRETACEOUS (rounded limestone cobbles) “Font des Papes” (Valanginian-Hauterivian) limestones and marls alternations Les Trois Yeux windy and sunny plateau, fed by detritic materials 2 on the west of the village from the Dentelles, this low fan consists of limestone fragments Grande Montagne slightly rounded, packed in the vine has a network root a sandy loam F which occupies freely loose valley of “la Romane” and sufficiently fertile sediments roots : cf. 7 Lower CRETACEOUS 2 ancient alluvial deposits limestone fragments, gargasian blue with cobbles, pebbles, gravel sands, brown marls marls sands and clays Lower CRETACEOUS 4 (Barremian-Bedoulian) Chapelle thick platy limestones Saint-Côme QUATERNARY : alluvial 3 terraces of the Ouveze river F 1 (cobbles, pebbles, gravel, loam) TYPICAL TERROIR QUATERNARY : colluvial fan CALLED «VINALTUDE» feeded by the reliefs of the Dentelles 2 CRETACEOUS LIMESTONES 7 6 AND MARLS very low fertility, 1 altitude, cool conditions Upper JURASSIC “white limestones of Provence” root system forced 5 by stoniness and 4 MARLS OF compactness of 5 “SAFRE” OF GARGASIAN limestones and marls TERTIARY : Miocene THE HILLS located in the harmonious mixture sands, sandstones and marly layers Romane valley of limestone fragments called “safres” in the sunny slopes the roots spread out and marl ; Comtat venaissin area looking at the plain in the first decimetres good water reserve (equivalent of the Swiss “molasse”) of loosened marls and the root system explores and high availability plunge along the cracks craks of the “safre” of cations associated where they find water and meets wet marly layers with clays and chemical elements (efficient water reserve) yellow filter sands, bedded and compact fine,warm cation-rich blue marls Georges TRUC - œnogeologist © - 2011 This tormented geology induces very extreme exposure and the Dentelles are the principal vector of the very important microclimate. With a Southern French climate renowned for its contrasts, it endures the summer heat and violent Mistral winds. With the abrupt wall produced by the Dentelles emerging from the plain, the Dentelles produce ascending and descending breezes which temper any extreme temperatures of a hot and dry climate. For the majority of the Gigondas vineyard, the West to North-West exposure gives perfect ventilation and helps avoid the excessive summer temperatures. Gigondas,Gigondas, itit wines Area under cultivation 2019: 1198 ha Area under cultivationcultivation 2015: 2013: 1213 1215 ha ha ProductionProduction 2015:2013: 2019 40,88429,703: 30,06 hl hl hl/ha YieldYield 2015:2013: 2019 33.524.43: 36 hl/ha hl/ha047 hl DistributionDistribution ofof sales salesof sales in in volume: volume: in volume 35% 35% :export 32% export export In Gigondas, the Grenache grape variety, King of the Southern ,Q*LJRQGDVWKHInRhône Gigondas, Valley the varietals,Grenache has grape a unique variety character..LQJRIWKH6RXWKHUQ5K´QH, King of theGigondas Southern is aRhône haven 9DOOH\YDULHWDOVKDVDXQLTXHFKDUDFWHU*LJRQGDVLVDKDYHQRValleyof freshness varietals, for has Grenache. a unique character. By limiting Gigondas the sun’s is arays haven inIIUHVKQHVVIRU theof freshness morning *UHQDFKHforthe Grenache. Dentelles %\ By OLPLWLQJ help limiting lengthen WKH the VXQÖV sun’s the UD\V raysripening LQ in WKH the PRUQLQJprocess morning of WKHthe Grenache 'HQWHOODentellesHV which help KHOS lengthen the ripening process of Grenache which needs to ripen slowly to lengthenneeds tothe ripen ripening slowly process to be of able Grenache to develop which to needs its full to ripenpotential. slowly This to be able to develop to its full potential. This cool micro-climate, combined EHDEOHWRGHYHORSWRLWVIXOOSRWHQWLDO7KLVFRROPLFURFOLPDcool micro-climate, combined with limestone, lends its WHFRPELQHGpowerful red with limestone, lends its powerful red wines a freshness and capacity for ZLWKOLPHVWRQHOHQGVLWVSRZHUIXOUHGZLQHVDIUHVKQHVVDQGFDwines a freshness and capacity for ageing. SDFLW\IRU ageing. The Syrah grape variety is blended in more moderate quantities. 7KHThe SyrahSyrah JUDSHgrape YDULHW\variety LVis EOHQGHG blended LQ in PRUH more PRGHUDWH moderate TXDQWLWLHV quantities. ,W It Itreinforces reinforces the thedeep deep garnet gamet colour colour and addsand aadds fantastic a fantastic aromatic aromatic burst. UHLQIRUFHVWKHGHHSJDUQHWFRORXUDQGDGGVDIDQWDVWLFDURPDWLFburst. The Mourvèdre grape brings the greater aromatic EXUVW7KHcomplexity MourvèdreThe Mourvèdre JUDSH grape EULQJV brings WKH the JUHDWHU greater DURPDWLF aromatic FRPSOH[LW\ complexity RI of VSLFHVspices to WR of spices to Gigondas and it adapts perfectly to being matured in oak. *LJRQGDVDQGLWDGDSWVSHUIHFWO\WREHLQJPDWXUHGLQRDN)LQDOGigondas