Say Gigondas
(jhee
- gohn - dahs) and I become giddy. This small sleepy wine village in the heart
of the southern Rhone makes wines by the same name that have me often times
falling head-over-heels. A red only
district, its wines are infatuating, charming, and dare I say…sexy !
So
what about Gigondas makes it so appealing?
The wines are a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre, the “Holy Trinity”
of the Rhone’s south. (This special trio
is also used in Chateauneuf du Pape). Gigondas wines typically have a higher
concentration of Grenache. The best Gigondas are the
red fruit-drenched ones tempered with layering complexities of mineral and
herbs. Think big, brawny, meaty meets
savory.
It’s
not just the taste profile, however, of Gigondas that is beguiling. The best crafted examples boast a voluptuous
texture. Silky, rich, creamy. Like I said, “You had me at Gigondas.”
On
this fall’s harvest tour we will visit the village of Gigondas where all of its
700 inhabitants are seemingly involved in something to do with the business of
wine. Located on a hill overlooking Provence’s
breathtaking landscapes, Gigondas is a charmer filled with cobble-stone
streets, elderly men playing boules on the central square, and numerous shops
selling guess what? Gigondas.
Leave
it to my husband, Toby, to introduce me to Gigondas.
Toby has been a long-time admirer of these wines. I still remember the first bottle he ordered years
ago at a restaurant in France ---a seductive Chateau Crayon. Many years later, both Toby and Crayon are
still my favorite crushes.
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