"Still tight, but with lots of fig, hoisin sauce, raspberry ganache, incense and mesquite notes waiting to emerge fully. This has silky tannins and a long, perfumed finish. There’s also great underlying acidity.  "

Best from 2010 through 2013.—J.M.

92 points, Wine Spectator insider, May 13- 2009

"Dark and smoky, with alluring cocoa powder, mesquite and bacon fat notes leading the way for rich black currant, melted licorice and espresso. The long, smoldering finish shows a nice wild side. Impressive now, but better with some cellaring. Grenache and Syrah."

Drink now through 2014.—J.M.

Highly Recommended. 93 points, WineSpectator Sept.30, 2008

all the details are here.

Technorati Tags: gigondas, rhone

Today we started harvesting the Mourvèdre. The weather has been fantastic for the last 10 days and consequently we believe the Mourvèdre have achieved a perfect ripeness... which is not true in every vintage due to the late ripening of this grape (and the fact that the Mourvèdre is really at the northest limit of its ripeness in Châteauneuf). The meteo forecast is good and we will certainly have finished the picking on thursday or friday.
Last week we had finished harvesting the Grenache in Beaucastel and in our various vineyards. The video below was taken during the harvest of the Grenache in Gigondas.

Technorati Tags: beaucastel, rhone, wine

The following informations are general informations about Gigondas. These are not specific about Perrin et Fils or Beaucastel wines.

Vineyards: these are located entirely within the commune Gigondas in the French Department of Vaucluse.

Soil types: stony red clay alluvium on the slopes and wide terraces.

Climate: dry, hot Southern climate with 2,800 hours of sunshine per year. The prevailing wind is the Mistral.

Background: from the 12th Century, it was the religious Houses that occupied themselves with expanding vine cultivation. Later, and right up to the 18th Century, Gigondas came within the Principality of Orange was owned by the Rhénane de Nassau family up until it was annexed by Louis XIV.
The Local Gigondas Appellation was awarded by decree in 1971.
 
Area under cultivation*: 1230 hectares, average yearly production: 41250 hl, Basic yield: 35 hl/hectare.
 
Grape variety mix: for the red: maximum of 80%Grenache black and a minimum of 15% Syrah and Mourvèdre. In addition, with the exception of Carignan, a maximum proportion of 10% of all the other grape varieties within the Appellation are permitted; the grapes are sorted when harvested. For the rosé: maximum of 80%Grenache black. All the other grape varieties within the Appellation are permitted up to a maximum proportion of 25%
 
Pruning: Syrah, Guyot pruning. For the other grape varieties, goblet or fan pruning on a stem with a maximum of 2 productive eyes per spur, with a total of 15 productive eyes per vine, plus a "bourillon" or first fertile bud.

Wine making: long maceration, and traditional maturing in old oak casks or tuns, natural alcohol content by volume, 12.5%.
 
* Source: harvest statement 2001.

from inter-rhone

GIGONDAS LA GILLE AOC GIGONDAS - RED

The vineyard
10.5 hectares (26 acres) are leased by us and managed by the Beaucastel team. The vineyards lie 15 kms to the West of the town of Orange, between the Dentelles de Montmirail and the river Ouvèze, a tributary of the Rhône. We also have 0.5 hectare of a pre-phyloxeric vine that we harvest separately.

Geology
Very light soils of rolled pebbles mixed with old alluviums over sandy molasse.

Grape varieties
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah

Winemaking
No de-stemming. Vatting for 13 days, with pumping-over rather than cap-punching.

Maturing
For a year, with 70% in casks and 30% in one-year-old barrels.

Tasting notes
The colour is a deep ruby with a velvety aspect.
The nose is reminiscent of red fruit jams, with a mineral and earthy touch.
A generous and powerful wine that is robust and distinguished, with its firm tannins well integrated.

Serving
16°C (60°F) in a fine glass with savoury dishes such as red meat or game.