The small family estate, Gour de Chaulé, crafts organic, authentic, and “handmade” Gigondas with soul from ancient vines—a wine produced with respect for the environment and the traditions of the region. For many years, Stéphanie Fumoso has led Gour de Chaulé, and now, alongside her son Paul, she has set a direction with minimal use of chemicals and reduced sulfur in the wines, a goal made possible by meticulously hand-sorting the grape clusters. This approach has elevated the quality of an already excellent estate.
This Gigondas is an intense yet elegant, red-fruited wine with ethereal aromas—a profile not typically associated with Rhône.
At Domaine du Gour de Chaulé, old, twisted Grenache bush vines predominate, while this cuvée from 21 lieux-dits also includes a touch of Syrah and Mourvèdre. The vines are approximately 65 years old, providing natural concentration and complexity.
Maceration takes place in concrete with partial destemming/partial whole clusters, lasting between 4-6 weeks depending on the vintage, followed by approximately 1.5 years of further aging in large, old oak barrels as well as concrete. To retain the wine’s authentic expression, it is neither fined nor filtered. Therefore, over time, a slight sediment may develop in the bottles, something to consider if you plan on cellaring the wine long-term.
It’s almost against the nature of a wine like this to be broken down into technical details on vinification and aging, as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This lovely Gigondas feels complete and natural, far removed from modern technology. When you smell and taste, your thoughts may drift to the slopes of southern Rhône with their poor, rocky soils and the rosemary, thyme, and olive groves covering them. Explore this wine with patience, and give it time to reveal itself; it is refined and elegant but also powerful and drinkable.
Enjoy this Gour de Chaulé Gigondas ‘1871 Tradition’ now (well-aerated) and conservatively up to fifteen years from now if stored well. We recommend a generous wine glass and a serving temperature of 17°C.
Vinous.com: “I was deeply impressed by the latest wines of the tiny family-owned Domaine du Gour de Chaulé… I can’t wait to see what the future brings here.”
