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More wines available from E. Guigal
750ml
Bottle:
$45.83
$48.00
Excellent harmony of full body, moderately dry tannins and richness. The red fruits are now beautifully developed and...
Pre-Arrival
E. Guigal Condrieu 2016
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$91.95
Ripe and lush, offering peach, mango, papaya and nectarine flavors, this nonetheless keeps a sense of purity, with...
375ml
Bottle:
$35.94
An exuberance of perfectly ripe yellow and white peaches, apricots, melon, pineapple and delicate white floral aromas...
750ml
Bottle:
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Reveals ripe kumquat, green plum and pear puree notes that have a glycerol texture on a finely tuned palate, with...
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Winery
E. Guigal
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Syrah
Whilst there remains plenty of debate over which is the 'correct' name for the Shiraz/Syrah grape varietal, nobody is in any doubt about the influence and popularity this grape has had over recent decades. For centuries, this varietal has been used in single variety and blended wines in the regions of France it is most closely associated with, yet the 20th century saw it become one of the definitive grape varietals of New World red wines, where its big, robust character and spicy, berry-rich flavors proved to be a hit with international audiences. Today, Shiraz/Syrah is said to be the seventh most widely planted grape varietal in the world, and is used for a remarkably wide variety of quality red wines – including still, sparkling and fortified varieties.
Region: Rhone Valley
The southern French wine region of the Rhone Valley has been home to wine-makers for over two thousand years, with the first grapevines of the region being cultivated in around 600 BCE when the ancient Greeks arrived with their knowledge of viticulture and eagerness to produce more wine. Today, the region is famed around the world for the excellence of its produce, and has dozens of wineries making the most of the wide range of grape varietals which flourish there. In the northern sub-region, the continental climate and brisk winds coming off the Central Massif allow wineries to grow a smaller range of varietals – predominantly Syrah, Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier, whereas the southern, more Mediterranean sub-region allows far more range. Here, dozens of varietals are grown for the production of white, red and rosé wines, all packed full of flavor and able to express the unique terroir they are grown on.
Country: France
France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.