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77 Gigondas AC 2009
Domaine du Grapillon d’OrGrape:80% Grenache, 20% Syrah (14% alc.)
This comes from the windy, sun drenched hillsides of the Dentelles de Montmirail. It is a really well controlled Gigondas with hints of thyme/rosemary and game on the nose, supple black cherry fruit, spice, liquorice and mocha on the palate, with a nice freshness and well-integrated tannins. For drinking now to 2013.
Technical Information Winemaker: Céline & Bernard Chauvet. Domaine in same family for 200 years Location: Below village of Gigondas Size of
domaine:14 hectares of Gigondas and 9 hectares of Vacqueyras Grape: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. 40 yrs-old on average. Root-stock 110 & 140 Plant density 3,500 vines per hectare. Gobelet and cordon royat. Terroir: Clay and limestone. Sandy. Quite stoney, reddish soil. Elevation 160-220 metres with a 2% gradient and both northerly & southerly aspect. Soil depth- 60cms. 3 main plots of vines a) near the house b) near Bosquiers below house c) Garrigues. Viticulture: De-buds. Vendanges en verts only if necessary. Ploughs the soil rather than ‘enherbé’, sulphur to prevent oidium and no pest problem. Adds organic fertiliser in the winter. Often harvest slightly later than others (by hand). No table de trie. Yield 33-35 hectos per hectare. Vinification: 80% destalked and no crushing. 100% destalked in 2007. No prefermentive maceration. Natural yeasts. Fermented in cement cuve using stainless steel ‘drapeaux’ to control temperature. 1 remontage per day ( no delestage, no pigeage) during a 18-20 day cuvaison. Max temperature of fermentation 32° centigrade at end. Press wine assembled before elevage. Grapes vinified separately but assembled at the end of winter. Malos in cuve. Racked then transferred to old (50yrs) foudres of (50-75 h/l) in April (no racking during the elevage). Aged for 1 year then transferred back into cuve for 6 months and bottled without fining or filtration, a couple of months later. Several (about six) bottlings carried out (using their own bottling equipment). 100% of their Gigondas is sold in bottles (none in bulk). Production 60,000 bottles. Press: