Guigal Blanc

Characteristics E. Guigal Côtes Du Rhône Blanc

E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc is a wine with a base consisting of Viognier and with the rest of Roussanne, Marsanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and
White Grenache. It belongs to the AOC Côtes-du-Rhône and is produced by Domaine E. Guigal.

Domaine E. Guigal is a family winery founded in 1946 in Ampuis. It is one of the most famous producers in the Rhone, making wine in a number of its denominations. Several of its wines have achieved the enormously prized 100 Parker points. The winery has been making its own barrels since 2003.

The vineyards for M. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc have an average age of 25 years. Its soils are diverse, being mainly of sediments and calcareous granites. The predominant climate in the area is continental and the average yield of the plots is 30 hectolitres per hectare.

The E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc harvest is pressed, and after being cleaned by decantation the must ferments at a controlled temperature not exceeding 18 ºC. Fermenting at low temperature produces and preserves fresher and fruitier aromas. Lastly, the wine is aged on lees in stainless steel tanks.

E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc is a rounded, elegant, solid and balanced wine.

Well, Guigal calls the wine (Cotes du Rhone Blanc)  a Southern Rhone wine – on their website.   Yes, it is 60% Viognier.   And,  E. Guigal has one vineyard dedicated to viognier; 100% of the vines are viognier.  No other of the six E. Guigal vineyards grows viognier.  That vineyard is in northern Rhone, just south of Lyon.   But, my take is if Guigal, the producer, calls the wine a Southern Rhone wine, I’ll have to say It is a Southern Rhone wine. (Eleanor Phillips)