Domaine Brusset Gigondas Les Hauts De Montmirail 2017

SKU
DBGR201711 UCAU
  • From one of the most incredible Gigondas sites
  • The Montmirail vineyard is a UNESCO World Heritage site,
  • The poor, rocky soils create wines of incredible intensity
  • 1 or more bottles
    $74.99
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  • Joe Czerwinski
    94-96 points
  • Nick Butler
    92 points

Editors notes

This Gigondas comes from a UNESCO heritage site known as the Montmirail hill, that is unlike any other vineyard on Earth. The soils are white granite rocks, and produce intense, complex reds. Domaine Brusset are one of the largest vineyard owners of this incredible vineyard- The poor, rocky soils create wines of incredible intensity and power.

Deep crimson in colour, with a rich, spicy, smoky aroma, showing hints of chocolate and blackberry. The palate is fresh with a lovely volume of layered fruit and smooth, firm tannins, leading to a spiced, peppery finish. Long and delicious.

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Red Fruits
    • Redcurrant
    • Smoky
  • Palate
    • Earthy
    • Jammy
    • Red Fruits

Food Pairings

  • Game
  • Pork
  • Red Meat

Critic Scores & reviews

  • Joe Czerwinski

    94-96
    "Full-bodied and softly dusty, the 2017 Gigondas les Hauts de Montmirail presents a dark melange of cassis and blueberry fruit. It's silky and elegant, with a dusting of dried herbs and spice on the finish. The oak has been dialed back this vintage, allowing more detail to shine through."
  • Nick Butler

    92
    "A vibrant crimson-purple colour, young and vivacious. Aromas of ripe plums and raspberries ahead of earthier dried herbs and oak-spice. Blackberries and white pepper, richly-fruited though not remotely sweet, tannins are chewy and work well with a dark powdery chocolate finish. Very attractive."

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Locations

France

Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.

Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.

Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)

The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.

Rhone Valley

The Rhône Valley is in the South of France and is situated in the Rhône river valley. The region has been growing wines for centuries and is generally split into two sub-regions. In the Northern Rhône, Syrah is the predominant grape variety, though it is often blended with other white varieties like Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier, or the red grape Mourvedre. In the Southern Rhône, a wide range of white, red and rosés are produced alongside the undisputed king of the Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The Northern Rhône is cooler than the Southern Rhône and has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winter. The appellations from North to South are Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray.

In Southern Rhône, the climate is more Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous appellation but others include Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas and Lirac. Large pebbles are used in the region, placed at the base of the vines to absorb the suns heat during the day, to keep the vines warm at night.

Châteauneuf-du-Papes are blended from the 13 permitted grape varieties, though Grenache usually dominates, supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. These wines can be supremely rich and complex and typically warrant 5-10 years in the cellar for best results.

Gigondas

Gigondas was once known as 'Jucunditas' meaning 'joy and jubilation' in Latin. It's is a French wine Appellation (AOC) in the southern Rhône wine region, in the south of France. Primarily red wines are produced in the region, with a small amount of rosé wine also produced, though no white wines are labelled with the Gigondas appellation (AOC).

The Gigondas AOC wines are produced exclusively in the commune of Gigondas in Vaucluse and are generally made from Grenache (maximum of 80%) and a minimum of 15% each of Syrah and Mourvedre. Small amounts (up to 10%) of other sanctioned varieties are permitted, but Carignan is not allowed.

The region's terroir comprises a hot and dry Mediterranean climate (not unlike that o f McLaren vale - a new world region well known for premium Grenache) and a mix of limestone soils (on the Montmirail hills to the east) and sandy, rocky free-draining soils to the north and west.

Due to the region's warmth (significantly warmer than Châteauneuf-du-Pape) the wines produced can carry rather high alcohol volumes and be full bodied. When handled well, and by great producers, some exceptional wines can be borne of the region.

About the brand Domaine Brusset

Exclusively imported by United Cellars, Domaine Brusset is one of the most exciting discoveries we've made throughout the Rhone Valley. Domaine Brusset is one of the leading estates in Gigondas, an ancient wine region known for sometimes out-performing its close neighbour Chateaneuf du Pape. The family-run estate has terraced vineyards at the foot of the rugged "Dentelles de Montmirail" in Gigondas, with a south-southeast exposure at an average altitude of 250m. The vineyard is planted out with noble varieties and is capable of producing wonderfully rich wines. Laurent Brusset is a perfectionist winemaker and owner of the domaine. Founded by his grandfather, André Brusset, in 1947 with vineyards in Cairanne, Cotes de Ventoux, Mondragon (Cotes-du-Rhone), Cairanne and the crown jewel, 20 hectares in Gigondas consisting of 68 individual terraces on an incredibly steep slope. This is one of the most spectacular vineyards in Gigondas - the vines face due south and emerge straight from the stone: they can only be cultivated in terraces. Rich and intense with the precision only found in fine wine. Flavours are full and dark with incredible depth, yet the detail in it, the mineral frame, the dried herb character and the fine acidity is what put the wines of Domaine Brusset in the top echelon of Southern Rhone reds.

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