Laurus
Gigondas 2011

AOP Gigondas Red

Awards

89 pts Wine Spectator
88 pts Wine Advocate
91 pts Decanter

Tasting

Rich crimson colour. The nose combines pleasant, gourmet aromas of stewed fruit and Burlat cherries. To the palate, it is the Syrah variety produced on Dentelles de Montmirail soils that prevail. The result is fresh-tasting and smooth, with pleasantly long-lasting aromas (Feb. 2014).

Food & wine pairings

Baron of milk-fed lamb

Duck à l’orange

Stuffed capon

Detailed information

Vintage

Thanks to the hot spring and plentiful quantities of subsoil water, the flowering process enjoyed favourable conditions. The rainy month of July delayed the ripening stage but the heat in August and September helped revive it, thus producing very acceptable sugar content. The harvest began on the 15th September.

Grape varieties

60% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre

Terroir

– The ancient alluvial terraces (from the Quaternary period) of the river Ouvèze to the west of the Appellation for the Grenache and Mourvèdre grape varieties. This terroir produces potent and spicy wines.
– Marly limestone soils from the Cretaceous period, in the heart of the mountains known as Dentelles de Montmirail, at 400 m of altitude for the Syrah grape variety. North-westerly aspect. This terroir confers finesse and minerality to the wine.

Winemaking

Manual harvest. Grapes are immediately de-stemmed and pressed. The fermentation temperature was stabilized at 30 °C. Maceration lasted 28 days with regular punch-downs / rack-and-return operations for the Grenache and pumping over for the Syrah. 15 months of elevage for the Syrah wine in 275-litre oak Laurus barrels (new, 1 and 2 wines).

Production: 19,000 bottles

Bottled on: 20/06/2013

Service

Servir à 14-16 °C .

Degree of alcohol

14,5% vol.

Technical sheet HD label HD Packshot

Laurus

Laurus means ‘Laurel’ in Latin, a Roman symbol of excellence. Here excellence is all about “terroir”: the grapes are grown on parcels selected for their ability to express the very best of each Appellation.

The term “terroir” encompasses a soil, a climate and people. Here it is expressed through sustainable partnerships with wine-growers who share our vision. The perfect combination of grape variey & soil, the precise maturing process in unique 275l. French oak "Laurus" barrels refines the structure, producing complex wines, with plenty of character, beautiful elegance and a long ageing potential.