Since 2006, the Quiot Family, charmed by the Dentelles de Montmirail and its products of character, owns the Château du Trignon in order to perpetuate it, while expanding it by 10 ha of Vacqueyras and a few hectares of Beaume-de-Venise.
"Respectful of achievement but rich of our wine-maker knowledge, we have adopted this land whose singularity fits in with all our other properties, in the same line of tradition, quality and adaptation."
The origin of the name Gigondas: two hypotheses.
The first one: he would pull it out of gignite undas, "emerged from the waters", like this mountain terroir concealing a gigantic underground reservoir.
The second one: of Latin origin, jucunda, which means “happy” and would be inspired either by Jucundus, the first owner of the place, or by its pleasant position and the pleasures of the surrounding hunting ... or even the pleasure of wine itself.
The cultivation of the vine goes back to antiquity. If the veterans of the Second Roman Legion are credited with creating the first wineries, the discovery of vats for storing wine is another clue. We then note that the oldest written mention of a Gigondas vineyard is from the 12th century. Gigondas is the first Côtes du Rhône Villages to reach the rank of Cru on January 6th 1971.
In the appellation, the terroirs are made up of large alluvial terraces of stony red clay, of Mindelian origin, which extend to the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail. Their high permeability allows rapid drying of the plots. These soils, rich in clay, are characteristic of the terroirs of great vintages.
On the estate, we have 3 terroirs: -clay and limestone molasse; alluvium with exploded pebbles; safres and sandstone.
Partial de-stemming. Vatting time: 3 to 4 weeks. MLF and maturing in oak for a proportion.
Gigondas offers a rich bouquet, with fine, fruity and spicy aromas and a sunny color ranging from ruby to dark garnet. The nose reveals a bouquet of red fruits and very ripe black fruits. On the palate, the Gigondas is full-bodied with a fleshy attack. The Grenache Noir releases all the expression of its power in this shimmering red wine with marked tannins, a structured body and a great aptitude for aging. Syrah and Mourvèdre reinforce their garnet color and spice up their aromas.
Review:
- Wine Enthusiast , Anna Lee C. Iijima 94 Points
Morlet Family Vineyards Mon Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot .
Located on the hillsides of Knights Valley, near Calistoga, this vineyard benefits from its proximity to Mount St. Helena, whose warm and windy climate is ideal for the long ripening of the Bordeaux red varietals. Handcrafted by using classical winemaking techniques, this special wine is dedicated to our son, Paul Morlet.
Dark red with a hue of purple. Intense and complex bouquet of red, black and blue berries intermixed with notes of blueberries, minerals (graphite, wet river rocks) licorice, fresh blond tobacco and a hint of lavender. Full bodied, the palate is reminiscent of the nose, with a richly tannic yet round frame and a great intensity. The hillside tannins and the classical aromatic complexity create a harmonious ensemble, leading to a very long and elegant finish. Built to age for decades, this collectible wine opens up after a few years of cellaring and is particularly representative of this special vineyard from the hillside of Knights Valley. Mon Chevalier features the interaction of the loamy, well drained and rocky volcanic soil, the typical sunny mountain climate and the low-interventionistic Morlet winemaking approach.
Propietary Name Mon Chevalier
Name Meaning My Knight Named after our son, Paul Morlet
Type of wine Vineyard designated
Appellation Knights Valley
Vineyard singularity Morlet Family Estate Hillside 1100-1200 feet elevation Rhyolitic, loam & volcanic ash
Typical harvest date End of October
Picking Manual, small lugs, refer truck
Sorting Cluster by cluster, berry per berry
Fermentation Through native yeast Tank and Puncheons
Upbringing 16 months French oak from artisan coopers
Bottling Unfiltered
Cellaring time Decades
Serving Room temperature
Decanting recommended
Review:
The estate-grown 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black in color, it charges forth with intense notes of crushed black cherries, black berry preserves and cassis scents with touches of spearmint, Indian spices, espresso and dried lavender plus a waft of roses. Full-bodied, the palate reveals incredible restraint, slowly revealing earth and black fruit layers framed by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing very long and spicy.
-Wine Advocate 96+ Points
Moving to the top releases, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier comes from Knights Valley and was brought up in puncheons. A gorgeous bouquet of sandalwood, violets, loamy earth, and incense as well as some iron-laced black and blue fruits flow to a rounded, supple, incredibly textured Cabernet that has sweet tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It’s already terrific yet will keep for 20-25 years or more.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
Hahn Estate Lucienne Chardonnay Lone Oak Vineyard is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Reviews:
Lemon blossom, grapefruit rind, pastry flake and a hint of ash show on the nose of this single-vineyard expression from the Hahn family. It's suave and broad on the palate at first, then it chisels down to pinpoint acidity, delivering flavors of apricot, lime zest and chalk before the slightly nutty finish. Matt Kettmann
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points