Dear Arthur’s Cellar Wine Club Member:

Well, here we are in 2016! Happy New Year to one and all. We hope you enjoyed the end of year celebrations and laid waste to many a fine bottle throughout.

To start 2016 off with a bang, we are delighted to offer you the latest vintage of the renowned Domaine du Cayron Gigondas – 2013. Owned by the Faraud family, classic and delicious Gigondas is produced at this leading estate even in difficult years such as 2013. Here are three reasons they are able to accomplish this. First, their fruit comes from old (45 – 80 years), well-situated and meticulously maintained vineyards. Second, they hand-sort and carefully select only grapes that are fully ripe and in good health. Third, and perhaps most importantly, they make just one blend (cuvée) each year; the best grapes aren’t diverted to more expensive, premium brands.  

Gigondas
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.”

The 2013 Vintage in the Southern Rhône
2013 was a difficult year for growing grapes in the southern Rhône, particularly Grenache which was very slow to ripen, if it ripened at all.

Here is how the ‘Wine Spectator’ rates the recent vintages in the Southern Rhône:

Cendrine, Roseline et Hélène  (that ancient press is still in service!)

Established in 1840, Domaine du Cayron is situated at the entrance of the picturesque village of Gigondas. The property (including a very special plot of eighty-year old gnarled Grenache) has been owned and managed by the Faraud family for the past five generations. Michel Faraud recently turned over the operation of his winery to 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 hand pressed in an ancient wood press and the wine then rests in old wood tanks 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 flavours 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 made. 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 standard bottles are available in six-bottle cases, while the magnums (1500 ml) 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, January 29th. Don’t miss out on this one!

This classic Gigondas was crafted from 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 14% Syrah and a dollop of Mourvèdre. The yield was thirty-two hectoliters per hectare and came from vines averaging more than forty years of age. The grapes were hand harvested and were not destemmed. The cap was punched down daily during the alcoholic fermentation and the wine was neither fined nor filtered. The finished wine rested in old oak tanks for between twelve and fifteen months.

Cendrine getting a sample for us from an old vat

The fine 2013 is an intense, ruby colour and offers up full, complex aromas of black fruit (cherries, black currants), blueberries, underbrush, smoked meat, pepper, and hints of allspice and licorice. In the mouth it is opulent - silky and elegant, very well-balanced and full with notes of white pepper and minerals on the lingering finish. It will go wonderfully with magret de canard, boeuf bourguignon, roasts, game and most cheese. A classic Cayron Gigondas.

John Livingston-Learmouth rates the 2013 Cayron Gigondas four out of five stars and has this to say about it in the December 2014 edition of The Wine Society, “(from the barrel) - medium to full purple-garnet colour. There is a high-tone cassis and black cherry note on the nose; the same is reciprocated on the palate. This is flamboyant and aromatic, the fruit juicy and pure on the palate. There is perhaps a touch of oak. Firm, chewy tannins appear on the finish, and should round out with a bit more barrel raising.”

Jeb Dunnuck of the ‘Wine Advocate’ rated it 91-93/100; Josh Raynalds of the ‘International Wine Cellar’ gave it the same scores!

Some say it is ready to drink now, but I think that would be like committing infanticide! I’d cellar it for at least a couple of years before happily approaching it. The magnum and jeroboam formats will cellar considerably longer. Order your gorgeous Gigondas now.

The LCBO is the only entity authorized to sell beverage alcohol in Ontario. Arthur Sellers & Company and Arthur’s Cellar Wine Club do not sell or markup beverage alcohol, but rather, arrange for customers to purchase it from the LCBO. Our prices indicated above and on our website include the LCBO sale price plus a fee to cover the cost of sourcing, handling and marketing the wine. The LCBO’s sale prices are available on request.

Please pass this note on to anyone you think might be interested in some great wines from the Minervois at very special prices.

Many thanks and cheers,

Jim, Hélène and Kate

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