2018 La Grand Comtadine Gigondas 750 ml

Gigondas is quickly closing the quality gap on Châteauneuf-du-Pape, giving lovers of rich, garrigue-tinged French blockbusters another appellation to love. The bad news? It’s closing the gap in the cost department too: Top Gigondas has leapt over the $50 price line that only region-ruling Châteauneuf had crossed.

The 2018 La Grand Comtadine delivers the richness and savoriness of top Gigondas at a price that reminds us of when the region was an insider secret. Built on Grenache from 50-year-old vines, it’s a 93-point powerhouse Jeb Dunnuck called “outstanding,” praising its “terrific purity of fruit” and “sexy style.” 

La Grand Comtadine’s vineyard sits at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail range, a location that the Wine Advocate called “its own little microclimate.” Sheltered from the chilly mistral wind, the vineyard lies on south-facing slopes that bask in sunlight, and at an elevation with night temperatures cold enough to help the grapes retain acidity.

Denis Cheron, the man behind this wine, hails from Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, so he was no stranger to world-class vineyards—and it’s no surprise that he found sites like this irresistible. He moved to the Southern Rhône in the 1960s and became a négociant. One of his suppliers, for whom he’d been a loyal customer, owned the Domaine du Grand Montmirail estate—which comprised La Grand Comtadine’s source vineyard.  When the owner decided to retire, he offered it first to Cheron, despite the mob of bidders vying for the land’s exceptional terroir.

Cheron’s son Yves now runs the show, and his daughter Elisa crafts the La Grand Comtadine wines with finesse and balance in mind. The result is a gorgeous bottle for red wine fans of all stripes!