E. Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

Description

E. Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a white wine from the illustrious Chateauneuf du Pape wine-growing appellation, an appellation which is very famous for its red wines. 

Guigal 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 the Côte-Rôtie with illustrious plots in many famous appellations. The wines are made and aged at the 12th century Chateau d’Ampuis located in the northern Rhone. In the summer of 2003, to improve quality and control over all aspects of the winemaking process, 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 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of 45% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne, 15% Clairette, 10% Bourboulenc, 3% Piquepoul and 2% Picardan. The grapes are sourced from vineyards with an average vine age of 50 years old, planted on rocky alluvial Rhone soils (with a layer of galets or pebbles) and red clay. The grapes undergo a traditional harvest, sorting and vinification in temperature-controlled tanks at around 18C. The wine is aged for 8 months. 25% of the wine is aged in a combination of oak barrels and demi-muids of which 50% is new. Demi-muids are 600 litre barrels common in the Rhone Valley.

E. Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

White Grape Varieties in Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

There are 6 white grape varieties permitted in the production of white Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc. These are Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, Clairette Rose, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Picardan, Piquepoul Blanc, Piquepoul Gris and Roussanne. Both red and white grape varieties can be used in red and white Chateauneuf du Pape. However; most red wines from the appellation (which make up around 93% of wines produced) are dominated by Grenache Noir, and only around 6% of red wines contain white grapes.