2012 E. Guigal Gigondas 750 ml

Gigondas: Châteauneuf’s “Little Brother”

In the very best hands, the 2012 vintage in the southern Rhône gave birth to some of the juiciest, most accessible Grenache-based blends in a dozen years. Wine Spectator praised the 2012s as “well-balanced,” “fine-grained and lengthy, with deliciously ripe flavors.”

Of course, Philippe Guigal’s are no ordinary hands. In 2012, Philippe made a superb Gigondas Grenache blend showing the best characteristics of the vintage and all the pedigree we’ve come to expect from Guigal — but without the backbreaking price tag of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Philippe learned at the side of his father, modern winemaking legend Marcel Guigal, of whom Robert Parker wrote: “There is no winemaker on planet Earth who has produced so many compelling wines, irrespective of vintage conditions, as Marcel Guigal.”

The family legacy is unparalleled. Since 1946, the Guigal estate has had an outsized influence on viticulture in the Rhône Valley. As Parker’s Wine Advocate noted: “The Guigal family may be the modern world’s greatest testament to a family-run winery with impeccably high standards, integrity and an uncompromising vision of the future.”

Those high standards were built on the treacherous slopes of Côte-Rôtie over the better part of the last century. Today, the newest chapter of the family’s storied history is being written by Philippe, 10 miles northeast of Châteauneuf in the rugged landscape of the Dentelles de Montmirail.

Between the Dentelles — ancient, crumbling formations sprouting up from the valley floor like stalagmites — you will find the vineyards of Gigondas. Here, limestone-rich soils and the cooling influence of the rock formations yield more finessed, nuanced Grenache blends. And while Philippe’s Châteauneuf-du-Papes have consistently garnered ratings of 92 points and higher from The Wine Advocate and Vinous since 2005, it’s Gigondas, Châteauneuf’s “little brother,” that may present Guigal’s most interesting and affordable new frontier.

Taking full advantage of the elevated, northern-facing vineyards and rich, limestone soils composed of the decaying Dentelles, Philippe has crafted his most outstanding southern Rhône bargain to date. Drinking gracefully now but showing tremendous potential for long-term aging, the 2012 Gigondas is a classic combination of perfumed, red fruit and elegant tannic structure. Philippe has bottled an exquisite Grenache-blend of finesse and concentrated, well-chiseled, dark berry fruit with the stuffing to age gracefully for the next 10 years.

91 points from Antonio Galloni’s Vinous. $25.99 for the first Guigal Gigondas ever offered on WineAccess. 120 cases available from the Rhône’s First Family, today only.