This past weekend I thought I'd revisit one of the best vintages ever from the Rhone region. It has been a couple years since the '07 Rhone's were released, and the heat has kind of quieted down on the vintage, so I thought I'd check to see how they were doing in bottle. As I combed our stock for the perfect '07 Rhone, I stumbled upon a new one that we just checked in. It was from the legendary producer Guigal, had a great rating of 92-94 points by Robert Parker, and the best part - it was only $25.99!! The wine is the 2007 Guigal Gigondas, which is from the southern part of Rhone and is also where Chateauneuf du Pape hails from.It consists of a blend of about 55-60% Grenache, around one third Mourvedre & the rest Syrah. In Robert Parker's review he states 'the best Gigondas from Guigal that I have ever tasted will certainly be the 2007..." - so needless to say I was pretty excited to pull the cork!
Upon first swirl of the glass you get that amazing freshness and delicious fruit that is a trademark of the '07 vintage. Gobs of dark fruit, blueberries, blackberries and hints of mineral. Very plush in the mouth and still plenty of fruit with perfect balance. No hard edges, integrated tannins and a long finish. You can definitely taste the Guigal pedigree and when you compare it to the other wines of Guigal it's an absolute steal!
Here's a little chart so you can see for yourself...
| 2007 Guigal | Score | Price |
| Cote Rotie La Landonne | 93-95 RP | $300.00 |
| Cote Rotie La Mouline | 93-95 RP | $300.00 |
| Gigondas | 92-94 RP | $25.99 |
| Hermitage Ex Voto | 92-94 RP | $200.00 |
| St Joseph Vignes des Hospices | 90-94 RP | $100.00 |
| Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis | 89-92 RP | $125.00 |
It's not every day that you come across a wine from one of the best vintages in history and from a great producer like Guigal, at such a low price. If you decide to try this for yourself, enjoy underpaying for one of the best producers in Rhone!