E. Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde de Guigal

Description

E. Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde is made from grapes sourced from vineyards of the Cote Rotie located to the south of the commune of Vienne. The vineyards are characterised by their steep slopes, stone terraces and their aspect over the river. The Cote Rotie is divided into two sub-regions, the Côte Blonde in the north with its dark, iron-rich, schistous soils, and the Cote Blonde with its palate granite and schist soils. As the name suggests the grapes for this wine come from both sub-regions.

The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the village of Ampuis. His son, Marcel, took over from his father in 1961. The Guigal family owns vineyards in Condrieu and in the Côte-Rôtie with illustrious plots in many famous appellations. The wines are made and aged at 12th century Chateau d’Ampuis located in the northern Rhone. In the summer of 2003, in an effort to improve quality and control over all aspects of wine making, Guigal opened an onsite cooperage. The cooperage at the Château d’Ampuis works in partnership with the cooperage at Chagny managed by Seguin Moreau.

E. Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde is a blend of Syrah and Viognier and, as the AOC rules require, these are co-fermented (the practice of fermenting two or more grape varieties at the same time when producing a wine). The blend is 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier sourced from vineyard with an average vine age of 35 years old – Guigal put a touch of Viognier in the blend to add femininity allowing for round, soft tannins. The wine is fermented in closed stainless steel tanks with automatic punching down. Fermentation is temperature controlled and lasts an average of 3 weeks. The wine is aged for 36 months in French oak barrels, 50% of which are new.