Sometime in the early 1990s, I ran across an article by Eric Asimov, the wine writer for the New York Times about what he called the Gigondas test. In it, he suggested that wine shops that had at least a couple of Gigondas wines from the South Rhone Valley were ones that could be taken seriously, ones that offered more than the usual ones from Bordeaux, Burgundy, North Rhone and Chateauneuf du Pape. I don't remember how many we had at Esquin at the time. But I have had several encounters with Gigondas over the fifty years that I have been in the wine industry.

First, what is Gigondas? It is one of the principal Appellations de Origines Controloée of the South Rhone Valley. Situated northeast of Avignon, in the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirial, tooth shaped peaks rising above the Pays du Vaucluse, comprised of limestone. The principal grape is Grenache, usually up to 80 percent, with the balance Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault, the same varieties as those used in the more famous Chateauneuf du Pape. The wines are made in a variety of styles, from medium to full bodied and spicy.

My first encounter with Gigondas was with one that Esquin Wine Merchants carried when I first started the Seattle store in 1969. It was Château Raspail from Domaine Ay. We picked it up from the Esquin store in San Francisco. The catalog we published had a paragraph blurb about the wine and it sold well, customers being intrigued with it. A couple of years later, the Château changed distributors and the product was no longer available. 

Over the years, there were other encounters with Gigondas. In the early 1980s, Bordeaux and Burgundy prices were sky high and we were looking for better values in French wines. One time, Karl Peterowsky, a former owner of Esquin-San Francisco, showed me a Gigondas that was rich and flavorful, yet robust. "Peppery," Karl called it. We took it on and it sold well. 

Later, Château Raspail-Ay re-emerged, introduced by Raintree Imports in Seattle. The Raintree rep, Daniel Block, thanked me for our support. It filled a niche in the burgeoning market filled with Italian, French, California and Washington wines. 

Another encounter with Gigondas was in 1981 on a trip to France. We visited some friends in Marseille and Henri had a friend who had a property in Gigondas. So we drove up one day to the property to visit it. It turned out to be a disappointment. The wines were thin and lacking in character. Apparently, the owner, who was new to the area, did not have any idea of what exceptional wine was. There a wide range of quality at the time, from mediocre to excellent.

In the late 1980's, we were loading and unloading pallets of Bordeaux and Italian wines (Burgundy remained high priced) at unbelievable prices ($13.99 for Château Talbot), so Rhone wines took a back seat. Then in the 1990s, we ran across a Gigondas from Château de Beaucastel, a property well known for its Châteauneuf du Pape. It was priced just above the Domaine's Côtes du Rhone and a better value. 

In 1997, I sold Esquin to the present owners so my encounters with Gigondas as a wine merchant came to an end. But I did come across it from time to time. When in restaurants, I would often order a Gigondas because I knew it offered good value. Raspail-Ay emerged again at Corvino's in Kansas City last spring where we had it with fried chicken (a Midwestern specialty). It was delicious. And then we found it at the Thief Bottle Shop in Walla Walla (sadly, it is no longer available). 

Having rediscovered Gigondas, I set out to sample and purchase wines from that appellation. Here are some from retailers that meet Erc Asimov's Gigondas test that I especially recommend. 

2016 Moulin de Gardette Gigondas, "Tradition" ($34.99 - Esquin) - Composed of 80% Grenache and 10% each of Cinsault and Mourvèdre, fermented and aged in concrete, this shows wonderful purity, deep colored with a rich nose of blackberry, raspberry and black currant, and scents of crushed roses, garrigue, olive tapenade and incense. The flavors are thick and generous, yet focused, with notes of licorice, cocoa and granitic minerals. The back picks up roasted berries and nuts, creme de cassis and burnt charcoal, followed by a ripe tannin finish. 18.5/20 points. New Review.

2015 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas ($34.99 - wine.com) - Composed of 78% Grenache and the balance, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, this offers a deep purplish color and intense aromas of raspberry, blackberry, plum, cassis, lavender and spiced incense. The flavors are robust, yet generous, with notes of licorice, cocoa, French roast and stony minerals. The back picks up pressed berries, grilled nuts, creme de cassis and plum preserves, followed by a ripe sweet-dry tannin finish. 18.5/20 points. New Review.

2016 Alain Jaume Gigondas, "Terrasses de Montmiral" ($37.99 - wine.com) - This is one of the top Gigondas wines tasted so far. It boasts a deep ruby-crimson color and an intense nose of wild fruits, crushed roses, lavender and spiced incense. The flavors are full and generous, yet focused, with a lingering ripe tannin finish. 18.5+/20 points. Reviewed in 02 October Review Blog.

2015 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas, "Les Sauterelles" ($41 - The Thief, Walla Walla) - Composed of 80% Grenache with 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, this displays a deep ruby color and an intoxicating nose of wild fruits, garrigue and incense. The flavors are thick and chewy, with a vigorous yet elegant finish. Mouth filling from beginning to end. 19/20 points. Reviewed in 04 September Review Blog.

2015 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas, "Vieilles Vignes" - ($34.99 - Esquin) - This 80% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre combination offers a deep ruby color and enticing aromas of blackberry, cherry and black currant, with scents of tobacco, lavender and incense. The flavors are thick and robust, yet velvety, underlain with scorched earth and macerated berries, followed by a warm but not hot ripe tannin finish. Excellent value. 18.5/20 points - 10 July Review Blog

2015 Domaine Grand Montmiral Gigondas, "Les Deux Juliette" ($23.99 - wine.com) - Deep ruby colored, this features a deep ruby color and rich, spicy aromas of raspberries, pomegranates and currants, with scents of crushed roses, tobacco and garrigue, and loads of plush, direct black and blue fruits, all leading into a satisfying ripe tannin finish. Excellent value. 18.5/20 points. 10 February Review Blog.