" We don't sell the wine without touching the vine "
Xavier Gigondas 2011
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Dark Purple, ripe blackberry and mulberry aromas are complemented by smoky herb, anise and fresh violet. Deep, sweet dark berry liqueur flavours show a smooth texture and a long snappy finish. Lots of ripeness and great balance.
Reviews:
Dark red. Expansive, spice-accented black and blue fruit, Indian spice and licorice aromas, lifted by a peppery nuance. Smooth and alluringly sweet, offering sappy black raspberry and floral pastille flavors that gain energy as the wine opens up. In a plush, opulent style; a refreshing jolt of minerality adds cut to the long, gently tannic finish. -Vinous 91 Points
The top wine from the portfolio, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme offers thrilling purity and focus in its lively dark fruits, roasted meats and underbrush-scented bouquet. Full-bodied, ripe and textured, with fantastic polish and sweetness to its tannin, it has a supple, forward feel, yet will easily evolve for 10-15 years. - Wine Advocate 95 Points
Tasting Notes: Purple and ruby notes. Fine and silky nose with subtle notes of raspberry, liquorice and vanilla. Great structure, flexible and round tannins, pleasant smooth, long finish.
Review:
One of the standouts in the portfolio is the 2015 Vacqueyras and it’s a full-bodied, charming, even sexy blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre that’s aged in a combination of one- to three-year-old barrels. Giving up loads of black raspberries, plums, spice box and garrigue, it hits the palate with an expansive, rounded and ripe profile that just begs to be drunk. I expect it will benefit from a year or two of bottle age and shine through 2025.. - Wine Advocate 91-93 Points
Alain Jaume Gigondas Terrasses de Montmirail is made from 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah.
Deep red garnet color. Aromas of ripe and black fruits. On the palate the wine is rich, powerful and harmonious - well balanced with wild berry and pepper dominating.
Soil types
Located in and around the famous area called “Dentelles de Montmirail”, the landscape typicity is made by a rocky bar (between 100 and 600 meters high). Soils are made of clay and sand with limestone. The “Dentelles” appeared thanks to the pressure between the Pyrenees and Alps mountains. This is a land of predilection to produce both powerful and fresh wines. Nights are cooler and the grapes ripeness usually comes in late September.
Winemaking & aging
Traditional wine-making in stainless and concrete vats. Crushed and destemmed grapes. Average of 18 days of vatting with pigeages. Ageing in vats mostly and oak barrels. Bottling after 12 – 14 months.
Reviews:
"Based on 65% Grenache and the rest Mourvèdre and Syrah, the 2017 Gigondas Terrasses De Montmirail is an impressive wine from the Jaume family and has classic ripe cherry and black raspberry fruit as well as notes of white flowers, graphite, and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, with sweet tannins, drink it over the coming decade." - Jeb Dunnuck (September 2019, Southern Rhône Part 2: 2017 & 2018 from Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cairanne, and Rasteau), 91 pts
The full-bodied, rich and velvety 2017 Gigondas Terrasses de Montmirail is another winner from the talented Jaume family. Hints of lavender and garrigue add intrigue to ripe black cherries and stone fruit. While approachable now with a bit of air, it has enough stuffing to cellar for a decade or so. - Wine Advocate 91 Points
Cazaux Gigondas Tour Sarrasine is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 45 year old vines on average.
Intense, persistent red and dark fruit aromas. Raspberry, pepper and spice flavors. Silky tannins.
Enjoy with game meat or strong cheeses.
Review:
"The Gigondas La Tour Sarrasine always seems to be a winner and the 2017 is no exception. With a big, meaty, peppery nose that has ample cedary spice and sweet red and black fruits, it’s medium to full-bodied, has a wonderful sweetness of fruit, ripe tannins, and terrific balance. It's rock solid and will shine of upwards of a decade. The blend is 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah, aged two years in concrete and stainless steel."
- Jeb Dunnuck (September 2019, Southern Rhône Part 2: 2017 & 2018 from Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cairanne, and Rasteau), 92 pts
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes 2011 (Magnum) is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah. The vines are 50 to 100+ year old. They are planted on red clay soils covered with pebble stones.
Yield: 30 hl/ha
Aged for 18 months in oak barrels.
Showing similar aromatics, with copious toast, licorice, wood spice, black raspberry and crushed flowers, the Grand Veneur 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes possesses awesome depth and richness, full-bodied power and a blockbuster finish. A blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah (from 5-to-100+-year-old vines) that spent 16 month in 60% small barrels, it is a brilliant 2011 that will have 15+ years of longevity. Hats off to the Jaume brothers for this superb effort. Wine Advocate #209 95 Points
Winery: Xavier
For the last 15 years, oenologist Xavier Vignon has become internationally known for being the winemaker of several of the best domaines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and around (La Nerthe, La Vieille Julienne, Beaurenard, La Mordorée, etc.)
In 2002, some friends (who are wine importers) asked him if he can create his own wine. Choosing amongst the best wines he has made, he creates a blended Rhône with different vintages, and different appellations. His ideal wine, easy to understand, modern, powerful and a great value for money, 100% Xavier was born.
As this outstanding « non vintage table wine » meets a big success Xavier adds a complete range of prestigious Appellations, still selecting and buying the best wines of the greatest domaines he knows perfectly. In 2006, Importers from the UK, Australia, Canada, and Scandinavia order almost 100,000 bottles.
As Xavier Vignon wishes to keep his main work, which is to manage his laboratory, he associates with two partners in 2007, in order to be able to develop his "Xavier wines".
- back
This appellation springs from 4 plots, all classified premier cru: La Jeunelotte, La Pièce-sous-le-bois, Sous-le-dos-d’âne and Sous-Blagny : the Meursault-Blagny wine from our domain originates from 3 of these plots (or climats), Sous-le-dos-d’âne, La Pièce-sous-le-bois and Sous-Blagny.
This wine is distinguished for its fine, mineral sensation giving length in the mouth : in the first years, the aroma is rich and ranges from citrus fruit to white blossom moving towards honey, buttered toast and hazelnut.
After 2 or 3 years in the cellar it may be served before dinner with cubes of “jambon persillé” (pressed ham ) or “Comté” cheese; a little older it will be an ideal match for fish quenelles and with slightly more maturity, delicious with veal in cream sauce.
In a good cellar, Meursault-Blagny wine may be laid for 8/10 years.
Johann Michel Cornas Cuvee Mere Michel is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Cuvee Mère Michel was first introduced in 2016 and is not produced every year. This wine is a tribute to Johann Michel' wife, Emmanuelle, and a nod to the French song, La Mere Michel. This wines comes from Selection Massale (replanting new vineyards with cuttings from exceptional old vines from the same property) cuttings of Serine off the 1947 Yves Cuilleron vineyard at Chavanay. The vineyards are located in the lieu-dit "Les Cotes" at an altitude of 230 meters and benefiting from a southern sun exposure.
Review:
"This is a serious wine, it's powerful and full bodied but not excessive, very ripe but not overripe without relying on extraction. It’s fresh, deeply saline and mineral with elaborate, detailed aromatics. The fruit is intense, matching the oak without being swamped by it, underpinned by serrated, edgy tannins and a very long finish. Selection massale planted in 2011 on lieu-dit Les Côtes, south-facing at 230m altitude. No destemming, aged in new demi-muids for 16 months. Drinking Window 2026 - 2036."
- Decanter (October 2019), 96 pts
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