Readers of these posts will know of our enthusiasm for the 2019 reds from Burgundy and the Northern Rhône Valley – a hot, dry growing season produced wines with excellent concentration and gorgeous fruit. Provided growers could manage to achieve balance through harvest timing and vineyard techniques, the wines are some of the most exciting we’ve tasted in years.
And as the 2019s from the Southern Rhône finally begin to arrive on the market, it’s clear the vintage was good to just about everyone in France. Even amid record breaking heat and drought, the vines performed beautifully, producing wines of terrific intensity and depth.
Wine writer Jeb Dunnock calls the vintage “a beautiful, possibly exceptional, vintage for the Southern Rhône.” And the 2019 Gigondas from our longtime friends at the Domaine les Goubert is a perfect place to start.
Goubert is one of the best known names in Gigondas, referred to as a “reference point” by both Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson. Their wines aren’t showy or modern – they’re classic, well made, and exceptionally consistent. Their 2019 Gigondas has just arrived, and it’s among the best vintages of the wine we can remember.
The nose shows dark cherry, garrigue, and violets, with a clean, floral profile that will remind you of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The mouth shows beautiful depth and concentration, with briary notes of blackberry, plum, lavender and cassis. There’s impressive energy and the wine finishes with beautiful lift. The tannins provide perfect backdrop for the sleek, inky fruit – just enough structure to keep the wine in balance.
The depth of this wine means it should drink well for many years to come. But the energy and balance make it really tasty today. It’s an outstanding value at under $30, and one we hope to keep in stock for a long time.
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Goubert Gigondas 2019
bottle price: $29