E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc

Description

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc is a superb white wine from the Rhone and is a great alternative for the ABC (anything but Chardonnay) crowd. It may be more expensive than other Cotes du Rhone, but this wine more than makes up for it with its superb quality. Guigal sources the best grapes from the Southern Rhône with an unusually high proportion of Viognier to produce a full-bodied and fresh Cotes du Rhone Blanc with elegance and strength.

Guigal Wines 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, to improve quality and control over all aspects of winemaking, Guigal opened an onsite cooperage. The cooperage at the Château d’Ampuis works in partnership with the cooperage at Chagny managed by Seguin Moreau giving them much more control over the barrels that they use.

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc is a blend of 60% Viognier, 15% Roussanne, 10% Marsanne, 8% Clairette, 5% Bourboulenc and 2% Grenache Blanc. The grapes are sourced from vineyards with an average vine age of 25 years old and the soils are varied including sediment, limestone and granite. The wine undergoes a low-temperature alcoholic fermentation and is then matured in stainless steel tanks.