Moulin de la Gardette Cuvee Tradition Gigondas 2021

2021 Moulin de la Gardette Gigondas
$36 per bottle, normally $39.
$32 per btl on 6+ bottles, $29 per btl on 12+ bottles!
(quantity discounts apply automatically at checkout)

We have a super fun wine on offer that has been one of the hits in our September release. We're traveling to the Rhône to visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape's cousin, Gigondas. A wine that I tasted, and immediately deadpanned to my rep Sidney: how much do you have? The answer was enough, and then some for a club run and a subsequent offer. If you're a 3-bottle club member this one didn't get included, but now's your chance!

The story of Gigondas mirrors that of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in that both wines are based on Grenache, and have long been renowned for their excellent red blends that incorporate a bit of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault, among other grapes. Gigondas was once just a "lowly" Côtes-du-Rhône Villages wine, but when the quality of the wines became apparent, it was one of the first smaller areas elevated to its own label designation in 1971. Gigondas' name (pronounced "Zhee-goan-Dass" with a hard 's') comes from the latin word jucundus, meaning joyful. Gigondas is a touch higher in altitude than most of Châteauneuf, with some vineyards sitting at 660 meters in elevation–this can be seen in the more perfumed, lifted style of many Gigondas wines.

When Rhône wines hit, they HIT. If you were to look at the history of all 34 Crunchy Red Fruit releases, I’d say that more than 2/3 of them had a Rhône wine or something similar in them. It’s a place that has a wealth of old vines, and plenty of sunshine.

Deep red baked strawberry and cherry jam, dried orange and bergamot, roasted rosemary, curing salts and a big juicy presence on the palate that starts and ends with fruit and pepper. It's seen neutral barrels but no new oak. This reminds me of why I like the Grenache grape in the first place–it's like a denser, spicier Pinot, or the most delicious grown-up fruit punch you can think of. There's certainly a bit of sweet-ish fruit on the palate, and when the weather grows cold I do love having some buoyant, sunny jam notes that remind you of summer!

It’s hard to dislike such a winsome wine. This is a great example of what Gigondas is capable of–especially considering that the pricing puts it well below Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines of the same quality and weight. Pair this with fall roasts like chicken, mixed meat and vegetables, and steak. It goes awesome with north African/Moroccan-spiced dishes and falafel as well.

Stock up on this one–it's a perfect fall sipper to reach for, one that's ready to drink now, won't break the bank, and gives jocund, joyous drinking right now!