Lavau Gigondas 2010

If we had only three words to describe the 2010 Lavau Gigondas, they would most assuredly be packed, pure, and polished. Wow! What a stunning contemporary rendition of Gigondas (50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre) the Lavau brothers have fashioned in 2010. Deep and amplifying aromas of blackberry, cassis, cherry, and anise meld with a light waft of the most pleasing incense to fill the nose. And on the palate, this heady Gigondas is downright juicy and ripe, decadent with luscious fruit flavors, but not the least bit flabby or over the top. Lavau’s 2010 Gigondas is held perfectly in check by ripe, polished tannins that afford it considerable body as well as a smashing finish, even in the ardor of its youth. Full and rich from start to finish, this modern style of Gigondas not only captures the magic of one of the Rhône Valley’s greatest appellations, it raises the bar. Enjoy the youthful 2010 Lavau Gigondas now and for the next 7-8 years. Like all fine red Rhône wines, it is best served cool at no more than 65°F.

One need not look far for superb accompaniments to the Lavau brothers’ majestic 2010 Gigondas. Certainly, the delights of the Provencal kitchen afford more than their fair share of wonderful pairings. For starters, charcuterie in its many forms pairs well with young Gigondas. Country pâtés, sausages, and smoked meats enhance the fruit forward flavors and spice tones inherent in good Gigondas, making them especially good companions to Lavau’s wines. In Provence, rabbit stewed in rich brown gravy and grilled lamb rubbed with generous quantities of garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and thyme provide perennial favorite pairings with Gigondas. A spit-roasted chicken dripping with butter, olive oil and herbes de Provence makes for another grand accompaniment to the 2010 Lavau Gigondas. Spicy eggplant and zucchini dishes and traditional Southern Italian specialties such as lasagna pair beautifully with this wine as well.

The expression “So many good wines, so little time” certainly rings true in the wine trade. And the sentiment we experience when we come across a gem of a wine we never knew existed before that first fateful tasting reminds us of just how true that adage is. Afterwards, we ask ourselves the inevitable questions: “Where has this wine been all of these years? And why did we not know about this producer?” Such is the case with Lavau and their stunning 2010 Gigondas. Apparently, Lavau has been wowing European audiences for some time, but the family’s wares have only recently made their way to our shores. Brothers Benoit and Frederic Lavau are the third generation in the Lavau family to make wine and the current guardians of the family’s success. Originally from St. Emilion, Bordeaux’s most picturesque wine town, the Lavau family has made wine in many locales, including the hills of Tunisia, before settling in France’s Rhône Valley in the early 1960s. Today, Benoit and Frederic fashion a stunning array of Rhône wines from three cellars. The brothers’ most illustrious crus are Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Tavel, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They also make a single village Côtes-du-Rhône from Rasteau and several other tasty Provencal delights. So, come and taste what this “new” discovery has to offer, while there’s still time!

Gigondas and the neighboring villages of Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, produce the finest red wines of the southern Rhône. Relying upon old vines of Grenache, married to lesser quantities of Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, Gigondas turns out a startling array of big, beautiful, tasty reds from nearly 2,500 acres of vineyards. Spanning a combination of soils, from the gravelly clay of the flat plains at the base of the craggy Dentelles de Montmirail, to the sheer bedrock of the Dentelles themselves, Gigondas is testament to the belief that in this enchanted corner of Provence one can even extract blood from stones, in the form of deeply colored red wine by the name of Gigondas. Originally the premier village in the sprawling Côtes du Rhône-Villages appellation, Gigondas was elevated to its own appellation in 1971. Quickly Gigondas made a name for itself, and after several decades of notoriety, the wine that bears the name of Gigondas has taken the world of wine by storm. Yet, the village of Gigondas itself remains one of the prettiest and least spoiled of the comely hilltop villages in this corner of Provence known as the Vaucluse. Nevertheless, Gigondas is a wine that has captured the palate of critics and savvy consumers alike. Today, the wines of Gigondas are highly sought after in fine wine shops around the world and they are increasingly well represented at upscale restaurants, whose clientele can appreciate the bold, extroverted, savory nature of this appellation’s red wine. For the record, tiny quantities of white and rosé wine are also made in Gigondas, but only the red wine of this endearing appellation is entitled to the name Gigondas.