Arthur Sellers Bulletin Archive
As Robert Parker notes in his excellent book ‘Wines of the Rhône Valley’, “Gigondas remains one of the wine world’s great bargains. Gigondas is never a shy or subtle wine. Its appeal is its robust, frank, generous, extroverted character, in addition to its value. It is to be savoured and admired because of these virtues. Great wines from Gigondas will rival those of its neighbor Châteauneuf du Pape and the wines produced under the skillful hands of the Faraud family often do just that.”
A Reminder – the 2010 Vintage in the Southern Rhône was Very, Very Good
As the ubiquitous Robert Parker reports, “This is a great vintage that comes close in quality to 2007 in the southern Rhône. Some producers think 2010 eclipses 2007 because of the wines vivid focus and freshness.
The 2010s will have significant aging potential, which is obvious in the level of tannins, but the tannins are sweet with exceptional elegance and finesse. This is another great vintage that offers an embarrassment of riches for this region that has enjoyed a succession of extraordinary years. Add the possible trifecta in 2011, and readers can see why more and more importers and consumers are beating a path to these outstanding wines that offer a terrific ratio in terms of value and pleasure, as well as the potential for moderate evolution in wine collection.”
Domaine du Cayron
Established in 1840, Domaine du Cayron is situated at the entrance of the picturesque village of Gigondas. For the past four generations, the property (including a very special plot of seventy year old gnarled Grenache) has been owned and managed by the Faraud family. Michel Faraud has turned over the operation of his winery to the fifth generation - his three daughters Delphine, Cendrine and Roseline. They spend a great deal of time in the vineyard, restricting yields and always hand harvesting the grapes at their maximum ripeness. The grapes are then hand pressed in an ancient wood press! The wine then rests in old wood for up to a year before it is bottled. The Farauds don’t fine or filter their Gigondas and the massive amount of ripe black fruit flavors found in their wine is always tempered by a profoundly complex expression of the terroir. It is important to note that each vintage is truly unique. The wine is being made the way the Farauds want it. Their Gigondas is not manipulated to appeal to the prejudices of wine importers or writers. They don’t have to – each vintage is practically spoken for before the bottling begins.
The Wine
The Farauds have kindly agreed to ship their 2010 treasures six-bottle cases, while the magnums come in three-bottle cases and the jéroboam (double magnum; 3000 ml) one to the case. We plan to take your orders to the LCBO on Friday, October 26th. Don’t miss out on this one!
The superb 2010 vintage is a wine to lay down. It is an intense, gorgeous bright violet colour and offers up full, complex aromas of highly perfumed red berries, cherries, black currants, underbrush, pepper, apricot (!) and hints of allspice and lavender. In the mouth it is opulent - silky and elegant, very well-balanced and full with a note of minerals on the lingering finish. After three or four years in the cellar it will go wonderfully with magret de canard, roasts, game and most cheese.
Order your classic Gigondas now. 6-bottle case 3-magnum case * 1-bottle jéroboam * – most impressive!
* silkscreen collector’s edition magnum and jéroboam
Please pass this note on to anyone else you think might be interested in some superb, classic Gigondas from a storied southern Rhône estate.
High Praise for Champaign Forget-Brimont’s Non-Vintage 1er Cru Rosé Brut Members who recently ordered the non-vintage 1er Cru Rosé Brut from Champagne Forget-Brimont will be pleased to learn that Alison Napjus rated it 91/100 in the November 15, 2012 edition of the Wine Spectator. Here’s what she said about it, “This offers lovely balance, a finely detailed texture and delicate acidity that focuses subtle flavors of ripe plum, wild strawberry and melon fruit. A hint of almond-tinged financier (okay, this isn’t like your favourite banker – a financier is also a French tea cake that tastes of almonds and caramelized butter) and mineral notes add complexity. Drink now through 2020. 5,000 cases made.”
Those who ordered will also be delighted to note that the US price for the wine is listed at $85 the bottle – that’s because they paid only $46 through your venerable wine club! Oh, by the way, your wine should be here by early December. Those who missed this gem will get another chance next spring.
Coming Next – Château Saint Jacques d’Albas (and Graham Nutter too!) To coincide with our evening with Graham Nutter at ‘The Vintage Conservatory’ on Wednesday, November 7th, we will once again be featuring his splendid wines from Château Saint Jacques d’Albas in the Minervois region of southern France. If you would like to sample Graham’s elixirs before ordering, why not join us on November 7th? There are still a few spots remaining.
Many thanks and cheers,
Jim & Hélène jaswalker@arthursellers.com hbuisson@ofrance.ca www.arthursellers.com
