Pre-Arrival Offer - Expected Fall 2023
All Pre-Arrival wines discount 10% with purchase of at least 12 bottles (mix and match with other Pre-Arrival wines from this producer). This wine will discount to $62.
Our tasting impressions
While tasting Moulin de La Gardette's flagship wine, Tradition, it is hard to imagine that a Gigondas could have more depth and more complexity. But, then there's Ventabren, which also raises the bar for sophistication and length. This is a world-class wine that will amply reward greater patience than the Cuvée Tradition, but the silky tannins and beautiful fruit mean decanting and drinking now provide great pleasure.
About this wine
Gigondas vineyards rest on the slopes leading up to the Dentelles de Montmirail and the erosion from these mountains composes the limestone & clay soil. The elevation (up to 330m above sea level) and the dry soil force the roots deep to find moisture, absorbing all the minerals in their path.
Jean-Baptiste selects grapes from his his oldest vines at the highest elevations for Ventabren. Most are between 80-100 years old, with some planted in 1901. The soil is sandstone and marl.
The cépage is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah & 10% Cinsault all picked manually. Whole bunches ferment for 3 weeks with natural, wild yeasts. He punches down the cap and pumps over.
The wine is aged for 18 months in 50hl foudres. About 7,700 bottles are produced after a light filtration.
But is it cellar-worthy? Guru found a small cache of 2000's offered from a private cellar. He asked JB about the vintage, who told him, "Buy all you can!" So, he did. They have been outstanding and likely will endure for at least another decade.
About the grape blend
Grenache the preeminent red wine grape of the Southern Rhône, makes full-bodied, red-fruited wine. It enjoys very dry, hot and windy conditions but the vines produce scant fruit which means great concentration. The Syrah provides structure, savoriness and black fruit and the Cinsault softens the tannins and boosts the fruity aromas.
About the vintage
A warm and dry vintage but without the sustained sweltering heat that has become so commonplace. Cool nights in late August and early September contributed finesse and delicacy. 2020 is a winemaker's vintage. The wines are characterized by lightness and freshness. So, there is little to hide any mistakes in the vineyards or cellar.
Jean-Baptiste Meunier (JB) is a fifth generation vineyard owner in picturesque Gigondas. But the name Moulin de La Gardette (La Gardette was the estate’s original vineyard) did not appear on a wine bottle until the 1940’s. Prior, many other crops were farmed and grapes were sold for use in Châteauneuf du Pape.
JB assumed management in 1988 after studying winemaking in Carcassonne and working in Napa Valley as well as close to home. The estate is 25 acres across numerous vineyards where he organically farms Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. He makes just 3 wines, Tradition (his flagship), Ventabren (a special, very old vine cuvée) and La Petite Gardette (younger vines).
He has a scientific air as he describes his processes and experiments. Yet you can feel that he makes wine as much with his heart as his mind. He is deeply connected to his vines and his cellar. This is evident in the profound and moving wines he produces.
