Moulin de la Gardette - Gigondas Ventabren 2018

Name: Moulin de la Gardette - Gigondas Ventabren 2018
Brand: Moulin de la Gardette
Rating: 4.5 (6 reviews)

Gigondas|Red wine|Organic

Rhône

Red

Sold individually

To keep

4.5/5 (6 customers)

96/100

Decanter

16,5/20

Jancis Robinson

92/100

RVF

91+/100

Jeb Dunnuck

91-94/100

Robert Parker

grenache

elegant

great care

"Gigondas haute couture

"A more limited production cuvée, the 2018 Gigondas Ventabren is actually cut from the same cloth as the traditional cuvée, revealing a light, translucent ruby color and an incredibly Provençal bouquet of kirsch, white pepper, dried herbs and floral scents. With age, it gains pepper and spice. It's medium to full-bodied, with an elegant, harmonious texture, ripe tannins and a good finish. I think there's a bit more tannin here, so I'd leave the bottles 2-3 years in the cellar, and it too should evolve nicely over the next decade. Both wines have incredibly Provençal profiles, elegant and complex." (Jeb Dunnuck 2020). A complex red combining finesse and character!

Features

Estate

Moulin de la Gardette

Cuvée

Ventabren

Vintage

2018

Designation

Gigondas

Region

Rhône

Grape varieties

70% Grenache noir, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault (sélection des plus vieilles vignes du domaine : de 65 à 115 ans)

Terroirs

Safre and marl soils

Viticulture

Certified organic

Harvest

Manual

Winemaking

No destemming, 5-week vatting in cement tanks with natural indigenous yeasts, no filtration or fining.

Breeding

18 months, in 228L Burgundy barrels and 50L oak foudres

Alcohol content

14,5%

Organic

Yes

Tasting & pairing

Eye

Light ruby, translucent

Nose

Notes of jammy kirsch liqueur intermingled with black raspberries, liquorice, garrigue, crushed stone and dusty earth.

Mouth

Dense, velvety tannins, with a savoury side that offers great ageing potential

Open

1h before decanting

Drink before

2035+

Food and wine pairing

Accompanies quail stuffed with foie gras, pigeon roasted with porcini mushrooms, capon with chestnuts or morels...

Moulin de la Gardette

More information on Moulin de la Gardette

Gigondas

More information on Gigondas

Expert opinion

Bettane & Desseauve

Domain rated (2022 guide) 3*Stars (High-quality production, a benchmark in its sector)

About the domain :

One of the "must-haves" of Gigondas, Moulin de la Gardette and its ten hectares are a charming estate, carefully managed by Jean-Baptiste Meunier. Between the terroirs of Saint-Jean and the Gardette hillside, the old Grenache vines capture the finesse of the limestone marls. There's no showboating in the cellar, and the owner has perfect control over the use of wood. For several vintages now, the estate's cuvées have been remarkably natural, with a silky texture and integrated tannins.

Decanter

Wine rated (2020 guide) 96/100

About the wine:

Deep, edgy and dynamic, really vibrant, with a subtle mineral vein and use of cob that works well here, bringing perfume but not contributing to astringency. Generous but not excessive - don't underestimate its ageing capacity. A selection of the estate's oldest vines (65-115 years old), grown organically. Drink between 2022 and 2033.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Rated (2019 guide) 91-94/100 (Wonderful wine)

Domain rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)

About the wine:

Made from vines aged between 80 and 100 years, the 2018 Gigondas Ventabren is similar in style to the Tradition, but slightly more concentrated and tannic. Lovely aromas of fine herbs, rose petals and orange zest join ripe cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is creamy in texture, fading elegantly into a long, silky finish.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

Wine rated (2022 guide) 92/100

Domaine rated (2022 guide) 1*Star (Stars in the making or quality winegrowers with a good level of production, you won't be disappointed when you taste the wines from these estates)

About the wine:

Lovely peppery, smoky nose. The stigma of the 2018 vintage comes through in the spices and a touch of pyrazine. The juice is nevertheless very elegant, with a lovely silkiness of texture. It's graceful and drinkable today.

About the domain :

This Gigondas estate has long been one of the appellation's best-known names. It has been run by Jean-Baptiste Meunier since 1990, and comprises 10 hectares divided into 25 parcels, situated between 100 and 330 meters above sea level, where the vines reach an average age of 50 years.

Jancis Robinson

Wine rated (guide 2018) 16,5/ 20

Domain Rated Recommended

About the wine:

Tasted blind. Baked blackberries and raspberries, high volume, warm alcohol and velvety tannins. Vibrant bursts. Should calm down with time, allowing this rich fruit to develop into a more complex palate.

James Suckling

Rated Domaine (2022 guide) Recommended

Jeb Dunnuck

Wine rated (2020 guide) 91+/100

Domain Rated Recommended

About the wine:

A more limited production cuvée, the 2018 Gigondas Ventabren is in fact cut from the same cloth as the traditional cuvée, revealing a light, translucent ruby color and an incredibly Provençal bouquet of kirsch, white pepper, dried herbs and floral scents. With age, it gains pepper and spice. It's medium to full-bodied, with an elegant, harmonious texture, ripe tannins and a good finish. I think there's a bit more tannin here, so I'd leave the bottles 2-3 years in the cellar, and it too should evolve nicely over the next decade. Both wines have incredibly Provençal profiles, elegant and complex.

Customer reviews

Customer rating

4.5/5

on 6 reviews