Saint-Joseph Guigal 2010

Lot presentation

Saint-Joseph Guigal 2010

The wine

The Saint-Joseph Cap Nord of Domaine Combier is a single varietal of Syrah grown on plots of the villages of Serves and Gervans. They are blessed with south-western exposure and fructified on soils of slightly sandy decomposed granite, called loess. Their yields are limited to 35 hl/ha. Grapes are harvested by hand and the berries are vinified in small vats with some punch-down to extract their substance and colour. The wine is then aged in four-year-old barrels for 12 months. This single vineyard cuvée can be enjoyed when young but decanting is recommended at least one hour before serving to savour all its fruity floral and spicy aromas.

Located in Ampuis, the heart of the Côte-Rôtie, Domaine Guigal was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal who arrived in the region in 1923 at the age of 14. Guigal has contributed enormously to putting this appellation on the map. In 1961, the young Marcel Guigal left school and took over the reins when his father was struck by sudden loss of vision. Driven by a desire to produce high quality wines, the young vigneron undeniably changed the perception of Côte-Rôtie wines. Nowadays, the brilliant oenologist Philippe Guigal – Marcel's son – is the third generation to run the estate, alongside his wife Eve.
The vineyard now also runs over to the Rhone valley's prestigious appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, Gigondas, Crozes-Hermitage. They are all vinified and matured in the cellars of Ampuis. Philippe and Eve continue to devote considerable care to all of the winemaking process: sustainable pest management (HVE-certified), entirely manual labour due to the steep slopes of the vineyards, vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, and ageing in new oak barrels for up to 42 months. The house produces three cuvées “prestige” - La Landonne, La Mouline et La Turque – a sublime trilogy which wine connoisseurs go mad for.
The headquarters of the estate is the Château d'Ampuis, a jewel of the Renaissance which is listed as a Historic Monument. The Guigal signature is one of the most emblematic of the Rhone Valley, it shines for its infallible constancy and rigorous grape production.