Red Wines of Gigondas Appellation 

The history of the Gigondas vineyard 

Gigondas has been living, for almost two thousand years, mainly thanks to the culture of the vine. The first vineyards are even attributed to the soldiers of the second Roman legion, around the first century AD. 

The first legislation in favor of quality production in Gigondas dates back to 1771, saying "that no one may harvest before the general permission that will be given by the Consuls, on pain of 5 pounds of fines for each contravention". However, it was not until 1924 that the wines were claimed as Appellation d'Origine "Gigondas". In 1976, the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée "Gigondas" was finally recognized.

 

 

Gigondas and its terroir

Today, the Gigondas vineyard covers 1230 hectares. It is located in the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail, with the natural boundaries of the Trignon to the north, the hills extending the Dentelles de Montmirail between Gigondas and Vacqueyras to the south, the line of hills of the Dentelles de Montmirail joining the massif of the Crêtes de Saint - Amand to the east and the Ouvèze to the west 

There are two main types of soil in this area:

- Sandy and calcareous molasses with skeletal and light soils, whose major quality is to retain heat and to be very resistant to drought.

- And ancient alluvium with broken pebbles. These are very permeable soils with a high stony content and rich in clay.

Because of their west/north-west exposure, the vines are protected from too much sunshine in the summer. 

Control of the Appellation 

The production of the wines of the Appellation is obviously controlled. For example, the wine must contain at least 50% Grenache, the main grape variety of the Gigondas appellation. It is this grape that gives the wine its character and structure. It will be accompanied, up to 15% minimum, by the complementary grape varieties that are Syrah and Mourvèdre. The Syrah will bring floral notes and therefore freshness to the wine, while the Mourvèdre, which is a qualitative grape variety, will give the wine an excellent ageing potential. 

The bottles of the red wines of the AOC Gigondas are themselves a guarantee of quality since they are stamped with the town's coat of arms. The label must bear the words "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée". 

The Appellation also takes a great interest in the protection of the environment, which is why it is forbidden to modify the natural morphology of the land for any reason whatsoever, or to put plastic mulch at the foot of the vines.