GIGONDAS Valbelle

90 % Grenache - 10% Syrah Co-fermentation of five different 80 old vineyards.
Limestony sands – Marl from Miocene – Limestony clay
Aged for twelve months: 30% in new oak – 40% in one year old barrels - 30 % in two
years old barrels.
We didn’t release Valbelle in 2008 because the wine had been blended into the Gigondas
Classique. This is nice to see Valbelle coming back in 2009 with its very specific
style. The co-fermentation method is one the most interesting tradition left by our
grand-fathers. It generates complexity, depth and balance. Those things are a lot
more difficult to achieve by fermenting the grapes separately. Harmony is a difficult
thing to get but it is necessary to have it if we want a « well-tuned » wine. This idea
is the heart of Valbelle. 2009 Valbelle combines well the tannic power of the vintage
with the roundness and the softness always found in Valbelle. It will be important to
wait for a while before drinking it since the 2009’s wines are quite muscular and will
need time to get civilized. The tiny crop offered us a tight wine with a lot of energy.
Strawberry, thyme, white pepper, graphite
Bottled without filtration