Southern Rhône Shines at Château Gigognan
In the five years since we added Château Gigognan to our Direct Import portfolio, I’ve watched this estate evolve into a truly impressive producer. When I last visited in 2022, I saw they’d made some exciting physical improvements: they’d added a new barrel-aging facility to augment their concrete fermenters, and they’d put the finishing touches on their new visitor center. Surrounded by the lovely Bois des Moines vineyards, whose fruit goes into their Côtes du Rhône, this is property that showcases the beauty of Provence in full force. But most importantly, its terroir really speaks through its wines.
The 2022 Château Gigognan Viognier Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc $19.99 is a richer, more expansive version of Viognier than you might expect. Coming from the Southern Rhône as opposed to cooler climate versions from Condrieu, this Viognier has a more tropical edge. Roasted pear, mango, lychee, and jasmine notes explode from the glass. Though exotic, it is never over-the-top. The wine is aged in 10% wood, adding some spice to the wine as well. What a lovely white to transition to the upcoming cooler months.
The 2019 Château Gigognan "Bois des Moines" Côtes-du-Rhône Villages $17.99 comes from the vineyards surrounding the estate. A century ago, these vineyards would have been called Châteauneuf-du-Pape as the soils are all galet (rolled stones) on the surface with limestone and clay underneath. The Bois des Moines is at the southern end of the Châteauneuf region, but this part was left out when the official designation was established in 1936. That means this is essentially Châteauneuf at an incredible value! Truly a baby CDP with its full-bodied texture and dark-cherry fruit, it’s a blend of 45% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah. The Mourvèdre adds a meaty, savory note that reminds me of that other famous house that also had a parcel left out of the appellation... Beaucastel! Beaucastel’s Coudoulet also has a lot of Mourvèdre in the blend and was famously overlooked when the appellation boundaries were drawn. Coincidence? I think the Bois des Moines will offer just as much pleasure—but for well under $20!
I have eagerly been anticipating the arrival of the 2017 Château Gigognan "Clos du Roi" Châteauneuf-du-Pape $34.99. The 2016 vintage was a tremendous success, and remains one of our best-selling Châteauneufs of all time! This 2017 is a worthy successor, and it is in its prime drinking window. The 2017 vintage was a pretty ripe one, contributing darker berry flavors to the wines. Blackberries and currant jam are big on the nose and the aromas unwind to show notes of fig paste, tobacco, and pepper. The wine is just rounding out and beginning to evolve, showing subtle tones of leather and porcini mushroom on the palate. This is a superb drinker right now and should continue to develop for many more years.
The last wine in the line-up is something truly special. We only received a tiny amount of the 2020 Château Gigognan "Collection Stephane Henin" Châteauneuf-du-Pape $130.00. This is the winery’s unicorn wine, a tribute to the late father of the owner Jean-François Hénin and is 100% Mourvèdre. It is rare to see a 100%-varietal wine that is not Grenache from this region. Only one barrel of this wine is produced and only in the best vintages—and we were one of the few to receive some. This is a bold wine with rich red and black fruit, savory spices, and a long finish. It reminds a little of the bigger wines of Bandol, but this has a riper middle palate that makes it oh-so attractive. If you get a bottle, set it aside for a few years if you can. It will be worth the wait.