Wines produced
COTE-ROTIE "LA MOULINE"
COTE-ROTIE "LA TURQUE"
COTE-ROTIE "LA LANDONNE"
CONDRIEU LA DORIANE
ERMITAGE EX VOTO
CHATEAU DE NALYS - CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (WHITE)
CHATEAU DE NALYS - CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (RED)
Winery presentation
Owner / winemaker
The Guigal family
Region
Rhône Valley
Appellation
Côte Rôtie
Presentation
This estate needs little introduction, founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal, it is simply one of the greatest and most iconic quality wine producers in the world. No less than 30 perfect scores of 100/100 from Robert Parker a total unequalled by any other producer anywhere testify to the extraordinary quality that the Guigals achieve, year in, year out. At the same time, the Guigals produce large volumes of delicious and well-priced Cotes du Rhone, which allows a wider public to share the Guigal experience. Despite the size and success of the operation, Guigal remains a family company, with all vineyard and cellar work overseen on a daily basis by Marcel Guigal and his son Philippe. This hands-on, artisanal approach explains why every bottle that carries the name Guigal is worthy of the enormous reputation of the estate.
Wines produced
NORTHERN RHONE
COTE-ROTIE BRUNE ET BLONDE
COTE-ROTIE LA MOULINE
COTE-ROTIE LA TURQUE
COTE-ROTIE LA LANDONNE
COTE-ROTIE LA REYNARDE
CONDRIEU
CONDRIEU LA DORIANE
HERMITAGE (WHITE)
HERMITAGE (RED)
ERMITAGE EX VOTO (WHITE)
ERMITAGE EX VOTO (RED)
SAINT-JOSEPH (WHITE)
SAINT-JOSEPH ‘LIEU-DIT’ (WHITE)
SAINT-JOSEPH (RED)
SAINT-JOSEPH ‘LIEU-DIT’ (RED)
SAINT-JOSEPH LES VIGNES DE L’HOSPICE (RED)
CROZES-HERMITAGE (WHITE)
CROZES-HERMITAGE (RED)
SOUTHERN RHONE
CHATEAU DE NALYS GRAND VIN CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (WHITE)
CHATEAU DE NALYS GRAND VIN CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (RED)
SAINTES PIERRES DE NALYS CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (WHITE)
SAINTES PIERRES DE NALYS CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (RED)
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (WHITE)
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (RED)
GIGONDAS (RED)
TAVEL (ROSE)
COTES DU RHONE (WHITE)
COTES DU RHONE (ROSE)
COTES DU RHONE (RED)
Grape varieties planted
Syrah
Grenache
Mourvedre
Cinsault
Viognier
Marsanne
Roussanne
Clairette
Bourboulenc
Size of Vineyard
The Guigal family owns 75 hectares of vineyards in the key northern Rhône appellations of Côte Rotie, Condrieu, St Joseph, Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage and 75 hectares in Chateauneuf du Pape at Château de Nalys. Additional grapes are purchased from long term partners for the negociant range of wines.
Average age of the vines
Most of the vines are between 25 and 35 years old. Many single vineyards are much older.
Location
The Guigal cellars are located in the centre of the town of Ampuis, on the right bank of the Rhône River, about 40 km south of Lyon. The Guigal family owns vineyards in prime locations throughout the Appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph from where their iconic wines are produced. The production of the classic range of “appellation” comes from a combination of Domaine production, purchased grapes and wines carefully sourced from a variety of leading vineyards located throughout the Rhône Valley for ageing, blending and bottling at the Guigal cellars in Ampuis.
Soils
Côte-Rôtie La Mouline: Gneiss with lightly coloured silica soil with limestone lœss
Côte-Rôtie La Turque: Silicone limestone with schist producing clay soil rich in iron oxide
Côte-Rôtie La Landonne: a complex terroir made up of shale and iron oxide with manganese
Château d’Ampuis: a complex combination of Côte Blonde (silicone, limestone) and Côte Brune (schist rich in iron oxide).
Condrieu La Doriane:
Côte Chatillon: Shale, silica & limestone
Colombier: Granite and sand.
Coteau de Chéry: Granite and schist
Ermitage « Ex-Voto » rouge: Steep sloped vineyards.
“Bessards”: Granite.
“Greffieux”: Calloutis du würm.
“Murets”: Alluvia fluvio-glaciaires and pebbles.
“Hermite”: Loess plateau and clay sand silt.
Ermitage « Ex-Voto » Blanc:
“Murets”: Alluvia fluvio-glaciaires and pebbles.
“Hermite”: Loess plateau and clay sand silt.
Saint-Joseph, “Lieu dit” St Joseph Rouge & Blanc: Gneiss with granite streaks
Saint-Joseph, Vignes de l’Hospice: Extremely steep slope of granite soil
Guigal « Collections »:
Côte Rôtie Brune et Blonde : Silicone Limestone (Côte Blonde) & shist rich in iron oxide (Côte Brune).
Condrieu: Sand & Granite
Hermitage: Limestone clay & silt, Sandy gravel
Saint-Joseph Rouge: Limestone, sand and pebbles
Saint-Joseph Blanc: Limestone, sand pebbles
Crozes-Hermitage Rouge: Limestone, clay and silt. Sandy gravel.
Crozes-Hermitage Blanc: Clay silt. Sand and gravel.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape: Round pebbles and red clay
Gigondas: Ancient alluvia, red clay and gravel on the slopes
Tavel: Clay and pebbles
Côtes du Rhône Rouge: Varied soil, sediment, limestone, granite. Pebbles and Alluvia.
Côtes du Rhône Rosé: Clay limestone or pebbles and alluvia
Côtes du Rhône Blanc: Varied soil, sediment, limestone, granite
Viticulture & Winemaking
Certified HVE level 3, the Guigal vineyards are grown sustainably with organic practices where possible.
First and foremost, Marcel and Philippe Guigal are devoted to growing the finest quality grapes from the very best terroirs. Their level of exigence and quality control is second to none.
The winemaking style has been developed and refined over decades of experience. For their great red wines, they favour strong extraction of colour, tannins and aromas, working with relatively high fermentation temperatures and regular pumping over. Their philosophy is to produce red wines with concentration, power and structure that can age and improve for many years in the cellar.
Long ageing in oak barrels is an essential element of this approach. All of the red wines undergo extended periods of élevage—from the humble Côtes du Rhône, aged 16 months in large oak foudres, to the single-vineyard Côte Rôtie wines, which spend 40 months in new French oak.
The prestigious white wines from Condrieu and Ermitage are fermented and aged in the finest new French oak. The other white wines from the northern Rhône appellations are fermented in stainless steel with strict temperature control, then aged in a combination of new and used French oak.
The white Côtes du Rhône is aged in stainless steel in order to preserve its youthful, fruity character.
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