📜 Gigondas

Gigondas is a French protected designation of origin (AOC, PDO) for still red and rosé wines from the southern Rhône Valley. It has been in the EU register since 18 September 1973. According to the specification, Gigondas was recognised as a designation of origin in its own right by decree on 6 January 1971, joining the Crus des Côtes du Rhône.

The main grape varieties are Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre (Monastrell) and Syrah (Shiraz). Red and rosé wines are mostly made from these three. Red wines account for 99% of production, and rosé is a much smaller share. The specification describes the red as well suited to ageing, ruby to dark garnet, with ripe red and black fruit that develops notes of undergrowth and truffles; the rosé is rich pink with tints of purple.

Grapes are harvested and the wines made, developed and aged in a single commune: Gigondas, in the department of Vaucluse, at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The vineyards lie at 160 to 400 metres on permeable, gravelly, clay-bearing soils, with a Provençal climate and the Mistral wind.

The minimum natural alcoholic strength is 12.5% vol and the maximum total strength 14.5% vol. At packaging, fermentable sugar is at most 3 g/l. Red wines have at most 0.4 g/l of malic acid and a total polyphenol index of at least 45. The maximum yield is 40 hl/ha. Vines are short-pruned (goblet or cordon de Royat) with at most six spurs, and wood chips are forbidden.