Domaine du Gour de Chaule "La Vigneronne" Côtes du Rhone Rouge, Rhone Valley, France 2019

FROM ROSENTHAL:

THE WINE: A small amount of Côtes du Rhône is produced from the vineyards owned by the estate in the communes of Vacqueyras and Violes. As with the more noble Gigondas, this cuvée is based almost exclusively on the Grenache grape (approximately 90% of the blend annually). It is vinified in a fashion similar to the Gigondas except that the élevage is less long. This is to say that there is an extended cuvaison with stems included, malolactic is done in cuve and the wine sees a brief stay in large foudres before being bottled eighteen months after harvest without fining or filtration. We purchase the overwhelming majority of this wine for sale in the USA (approximately 2,400 bottles per annum).

THE PRODUCER: The Domaine Gour de Chaulé, situated in the heart of the village of Gigondas, was founded in 1900 by Eugene Bonfils, the great-grandfather of the current proprietor, Stephanie Fumoso. All the wine produced at the estate was sold in bulk to negociants until 1970 when Madame Rolande Beaumet, Eugene’s daughter and the grandmother of Stéphanie, began to bottle a small percentage of the estate’s wine for sale to private clients. Madame Beaumet’s daughter, Aline Bonfils, ascended to the head of the domaine in the early 1980s and it was under the direction of Aline that the tradition of estate bottling expanded significantly. We arrived at her doorstep virtually at that same moment and, from that day, we became the exclusive representative in the USA of the Domaine Gour de Chaulé, purchasing increasingly more important quantities of this classic version of Gigondas. The domaine comprises 15 hectares, 10 of which are within Gigondas with the remaining 5 hectares situated in the surrounding communes of Vacqueyras and Violes. Aline Bonfils believes strongly in Grenache as the heart and soul of Gigondas and she has transmitted this philosophy to her daughter, Stéphanie. Thus, 85% of the vineyards are planted to Grenache, with approximately 10% dedicated to Syrah and Mourvèdre and the balance planted to Cinsault. Further, this family has always conducted their affairs with the understanding that minimal intervention in the vineyards and in the cave is essential to preserving the essential character of the wines of this important appellation. Note, particularly, that the red wines here are produced from grapes that are not destemmed, an approach that we believe is essential to provide the classic character of Gigondas.

The Domaine Gour de Chaulé is one of the most important domaines in the RWM portfolio, not only in terms of volume of wine purchased but with respect, as well, to the depth of mutual commitment between our two families. We are continually impressed by the consistent high quality, the exceptional value and the faithful representation of the essence of this appellation that issue from this estate annually. We are honored to present the three wines of Gour de Chaulé.