Gigondas always seems to play the little-brother role to Chateauneuf du Pape, but these wines can be very, very good. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre vinified in the purest tradition, this wine is opulent now and will age well for the next 8 or 10 years.

Powerful nose dominated by red fruits and delicate aromas of wood.

Rich in red fruits, cherry and strawberry with delicate oak aromas on the nose. A structured tannic wine. Aromas of blackcurrant buds and vanilla. Remarkable freshness with notable and refined tannins to due long oak ageing. Crozes-Hermitage can be considered the gateway to the red and white wines of the Northern Rhône Valley. The reds, which are the majority of production, have wonderful warm flavors of red and black fruit, and typical Syrah (Shiraz) pepper, spice and savoury notes. They are more approachable than their highly revered cousins in Côte-Rotie and Hermitage, with an appealing freshness that makes them drinkable early in life.

The Guigal family owns vineyards in prime locations throughout the Appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph from where their iconic wines are produced. The Guigal cellars are located in the centre of the town of Ampuis, on the right bank of the Rhône River, about 40 km south of Lyon. The Côtes du Rhône region stretches 200 km from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south. Côtes-du-Rhône is the workhorse red of the southern Rhône Valley and is blended from up to 13 grape varieties, but usually leans heavily on grenache and syrah (Shiraz). Deep, bright, garnet-red in colour, it is a fresh, crisp wine with small soft fruit and spices. A full-bodied, elegant wine, with mellow tannins, warmth and aromatic intensity.