Vidal-Fleury, Gigondas 2020
Tax included
Only 12 in stock
Gigondas 2020, Vidal-Fleury
Rhône Valley, France
Grape Variety: Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre
Alcohol: 14.5% ABV
The Story
It was in 1781, in the small commune of Tupin-et-Semons, south of Lyon and within the most prestigious vineyard of the Rhône, that Joseph Vidal founded the Maison of the same name. From the outset, it acquired an international reputation thanks, in particular, to trade with America. Thomas Jefferson, then United States ambassador to France, visited the estate in 1787.
In the 1890s, Gustave Vidal married a Miss Fleury, and Maison Vidal became Maison Vidal-Fleury. This wedding came at just the right time, as the bride's dowry enabled the vineyard, which had just suffered the devastating attacks of phylloxera, to be replanted.
A period of disappointments followed, such as two wars, a lack of skilled labor, market gardening... We thought the vineyard was in agony, but that was without counting on a handful of stubborn men, and above all wine lovers, who would revive the vineyard. With the strength of their tenacity and their arms, they restored the vines and gradually restored their nobility. And this is how Maison Vidal-Fleury became, in the middle of the 20th century, the emblematic Maison of Côte Rôtie.
In 1984, it became the property of the Guigal family: this was the logical next step for these two families, Vidal-Fleury and Guigal, who had always worked together in the wine industry. Indeed, in 1924, Joseph Vidal-Fleury had hired Etienne Guigal, Marcel's father, as winemaker and cellar master. When the Vidal-Fleury family decided to sell, having no heirs wishing to run the House, they naturally turned to the Guigal family... The family story continues.
Vidaly-Fleury, however, retains its full autonomy. In 2008, the House took a new step and invested in new 9,000m² cellars to optimize the maturation, packaging, and aging of the wines in bottles.
Today, Maison Vidal-Fleury has no fewer than 19 of the most prestigious appellations in the Rhône Valley.
Vineyard & Winemaking
The Gigondas terroir is nestled at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes in this vintage are grown in the Montmirail area, in the south of the appellation, on safre (sandy sand) soils. The Syrah grapes are grown on terraces in the Dentelles, on marl soils covered with limestone scree. The climate is Mediterranean, influenced by the Mistral wind.
Vinification using destemmed harvests, alcoholic fermentation under controlled temperature, three to four weeks of vatting. Ageing in tuns for 70% of the vintage and in stainless steel vats for 30% of the vintage for 18 months.
Tasting Notes:
A rich and elegant nose with notes of black fruits, cocoa, and garrigue. A fine and concentrated palate, with present and silky tannins that give the wine a warm mouthfeel without masking its natural minerality. The finish is long with aromas of black olives and smoky notes.
Cellaring & Service
Cellaring Potential: 10-15 years
Serving Temperature: 18°C
Allergens: This wine contains sulphites