Could Gigondas blanc point the way for the future of fine white wine in the Southern Rhône?
Could Gigondas blanc point the way for the future of fine white wine in the Southern Rhône? Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme – and co-president of the Gigondas appellation - certainly thinks so writes Heather Dougherty. The post Could Gigondas blanc point the way for the future of fine white wine in the Southern Rhône? appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Could Gigondas blanc point the way for the future of fine white wine in the Southern Rhône? Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme – and co-president of the Gigondas appellation - certainly thinks so writes Heather Dougherty.
The village and vineyards of Gigondas are striking, clinging to the steep, limestone slopes of the jagged Dentelles de Montmirail. It has long had an enviable reputation for its red wines, which offer the full-throated appeal of the Southern Rhône, allied with elegance and freshness thanks to the limestone and altitude offered by the Dentelles.
Those same factors seem an obvious place to make high quality white wines too but, for many years, Gigondas growers who made whites were obliged to label them as simply Côtes du Rhône blanc. From the 2023 harvest, however, producers are able to label their whites as Gigondas blanc for the first time.
The road to Gigondas blanc began 15 years ago – or perhaps it was 54 years ago. White wine was not included in the appellation rules when Gigondas was elevated to Cru status back in 1971. The why’s and wherefores’ are lost in the mists of time: all we can say for sure is that white wine had been part of the original dossier but, at some point during the application process, it was withdrawn.
It was a blow to growers who had been making white wines, often based on the Clairette blanche grape, which is particularly suited to the combination of limestone marl soils, and the Mediterranean climate moderated by altitude found here. As a result of that 1971 ruling, some growers uprooted their white varieties, preferring to concentrate instead on the red grapes which would qualify for the more prestigious Gigondas label. Luckily some - including Barruol’s Château de Saint Cosme and Domaine Pierre Amadieu - did not and have the old vine Clairette to show for it.
Jean-Marie Amadieu admits that, at the time, his grandfather Pierre had restaurant customers who wanted to buy a white wine from him, so it was primarily a commercial decision to keep his Clairette vines.
Then, 15 years ago began the long process of (re-)gaining approval for white wines within the Gigondas appellation, culminating in the INAO ruling which allowed it from 2023.
The village and vineyards of Gigondas are striking, clinging to the steep, limestone slopes of the jagged Dentelles de Montmirail. It has long had an enviable reputation for its red wines, which offer the full-throated appeal of the Southern Rhône, allied with elegance and freshness thanks to the limestone and altitude offered by the Dentelles.
Those same factors seem an obvious place to make high quality white wines too but, for many years, Gigondas growers who made whites were obliged to label them as simply Côtes du Rhône blanc. From the 2023 harvest, however, producers are able to label their whites as Gigondas blanc for the first time.
The road to Gigondas blanc began 15 years ago – or perhaps it was 54 years ago. White wine was not included in the appellation rules when Gigondas was elevated to Cru status back in 1971. The why’s and wherefores’ are lost in the mists of time: all we can say for sure is that white wine had been part of the original dossier but, at some point during the application process, it was withdrawn.
It was a blow to growers who had been making white wines, often based on the Clairette blanche grape, which is particularly suited to the combination of limestone marl soils, and the Mediterranean climate moderated by altitude found here. As a result of that 1971 ruling, some growers uprooted their white varieties, preferring to concentrate instead on the red grapes which would qualify for the more prestigious Gigondas label. Luckily some - including Barruol’s Château de Saint Cosme and Domaine Pierre Amadieu - did not and have the old vine Clairette to show for it.
Jean-Marie Amadieu admits that, at the time, his grandfather Pierre had restaurant customers who wanted to buy a white wine from him, so it was primarily a commercial decision to keep his Clairette vines.
Then, 15 years ago began the long process of (re-)gaining approval for white wines within the Gigondas appellation, culminating in the INAO ruling which allowed it from 2023.
