Chris Rogers "This deep-coloured wine displays delightful fragrances of blackberry, blackcurrant along with raspberries. A full and delicate mouth, very intense with velvety tannins ending on a perfect freshness."
John Livingstone-Learmonth "Their Gigondas reds are always well filled - notable in 2016."
The Winemaker - "The Syrah grape grown on a gravely soil of the right bank of the Rhône river is perfectly blended with very ripened Grenache bunches grown on a limestone terroir. "
Decanter "Bold aromas of black cherry jam followed by an intense powerful palate where good fruit concentration is matched by well-managed, enjoyably chewy tannins and lifted by a refreshing line of acidity. There's nice finesse here and a pleasing twist of liquorice." (2013 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Pierre Amadieu - The Gentle Giant of Gigondas"
Pierre Amadieu is a highly regarded winery founded in 1929 by the current owner’s grandfather, who made wines from his 7 hectares of vineyards in Gigondas. It was one of the first wineries to print the name of the appellation on its bottles, and within three years of establishment, Pierre Amadieu had established its reputation, winning a gold medal in the National Agricultural Concours of Paris; one of the most prestigious wine awards at the time. Generations on, the present Pierre Amadieu - owner and winemaker continue the tradition. He is not a follower of over-extracted wines; instead, he strives to obtain well-balanced wines with all the elegance and the richness of his protected terroir located on the heights of the appellation Gigondas.
Pierre Amadieu is the largest estate of Gigondas with 137 ha of vines (338 acres), surrounded by 200 ha of garrigue and holm oaks which assure natural protection for the vineyard. The management of the vineyard and the winemaking process are increasingly single-vineyard oriented.
Wine Spectator "Pierre Amadieu's estate is Gigondas' largest vineyard holder, with 320 acres of vines (roughly 11 per cent of the appellation). Pierre's grandfather (also named Pierre) started the company in 1929 with just 17 acres of vines. As the business grew, Amadieu's grandfather purchased the Romane Machotte estate in 1950, a 316-acre tract of land; then mostly wooded hillsides and olive groves, it now forms the backbone of the estate. Pierre's father, Jean-Pierre, and uncle Claude continued the family tradition until the younger, quietly serious Pierre Amadieu, now 41, joined the family company in 1990, after a training period at Château La Nerthe with Alain Dugas. By 2003, Pierre had assumed full control of the company."
Gigondas is a village in the southern Rhône valley and an appellation for red and rosé wines. Both colors are made from up to 80 percent Grenache (according to the appellation laws), with at least 15 percent comprised of Syrah and Mourvèdre. Any Gigondas wine may have a maximum of 10 percent of any variety sanctioned by the standard red Côtes du Rhône appellation laws, with the exception of Carignan.
Southern Rhone Red Blend refers to a wide range of grape varieties often blended together to make wines in the southern reaches of the Rhone Valley in the south of France. While the blend could theoretically consist of any of a wide range of grape varieties, it is usually made up of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, in varying proportions, typically with Grenache and Syrah as the dominant partners.
The Rhone Valley is one of France's key wine regions, and is divided neatly by a gap of about 25 miles (40km). Wines from the northern part of the valley tend to be Syrah-dominant (Hermitage and Cote Rotie being the most notable examples), while wines from the southern Rhone are more commonly blends, with Grenache playing a more dominant role. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous example of a southern Rhone blend, but similar blends are found in wines from Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the regional Cotes du Rhone title.
Alongside Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (which are often collectively referred to as a GSM blend), a number of local varieties can be found in southern Rhone blends. This includes varieties like Carignan and Cinsaut, which are planted along the Mediterranean coast, but also more obscure varieties like Clairette, Counoise, Muscardin, Terret Noir and Vaccarese. It is not unheard of for southern Rhone red blends to also include white grape varieties like Viognier or Roussanne in small proportions.
90/100 - Wine Spectator
Chris Rogers "This deep-coloured wine displays delightful fragrances of blackberry, blackcurrant along with raspberries. A full and delicate mouth, very intense with velvety tannins ending on a perfect freshness."
John Livingstone-Learmonth "Their Gigondas reds are always well filled - notable in 2016."
The Winemaker - "The Syrah grape grown on a gravely soil of the right bank of the Rhône river is perfectly blended with very ripened Grenache bunches grown on a limestone terroir. "
Decanter "Bold aromas of black cherry jam followed by an intense powerful palate where good fruit concentration is matched by well-managed, enjoyably chewy tannins and lifted by a refreshing line of acidity. There's nice finesse here and a pleasing twist of liquorice." (2013 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Pierre Amadieu - The Gentle Giant of Gigondas"
Pierre Amadieu is a highly regarded winery founded in 1929 by the current owner’s grandfather, who made wines from his 7 hectares of vineyards in Gigondas. It was one of the first wineries to print the name of the appellation on its bottles, and within three years of establishment, Pierre Amadieu had established its reputation, winning a gold medal in the National Agricultural Concours of Paris; one of the most prestigious wine awards at the time. Generations on, the present Pierre Amadieu - owner and winemaker continue the tradition. He is not a follower of over-extracted wines; instead, he strives to obtain well-balanced wines with all the elegance and the richness of his protected terroir located on the heights of the appellation Gigondas.
Pierre Amadieu is the largest estate of Gigondas with 137 ha of vines (338 acres), surrounded by 200 ha of garrigue and holm oaks which assure natural protection for the vineyard. The management of the vineyard and the winemaking process are increasingly single-vineyard oriented.
Wine Spectator "Pierre Amadieu's estate is Gigondas' largest vineyard holder, with 320 acres of vines (roughly 11 per cent of the appellation). Pierre's grandfather (also named Pierre) started the company in 1929 with just 17 acres of vines. As the business grew, Amadieu's grandfather purchased the Romane Machotte estate in 1950, a 316-acre tract of land; then mostly wooded hillsides and olive groves, it now forms the backbone of the estate. Pierre's father, Jean-Pierre, and uncle Claude continued the family tradition until the younger, quietly serious Pierre Amadieu, now 41, joined the family company in 1990, after a training period at Château La Nerthe with Alain Dugas. By 2003, Pierre had assumed full control of the company."
Gigondas is a village in the southern Rhône valley and an appellation for red and rosé wines. Both colors are made from up to 80 percent Grenache (according to the appellation laws), with at least 15 percent comprised of Syrah and Mourvèdre. Any Gigondas wine may have a maximum of 10 percent of any variety sanctioned by the standard red Côtes du Rhône appellation laws, with the exception of Carignan.
Southern Rhone Red Blend refers to a wide range of grape varieties often blended together to make wines in the southern reaches of the Rhone Valley in the south of France. While the blend could theoretically consist of any of a wide range of grape varieties, it is usually made up of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, in varying proportions, typically with Grenache and Syrah as the dominant partners.
The Rhone Valley is one of France's key wine regions, and is divided neatly by a gap of about 25 miles (40km). Wines from the northern part of the valley tend to be Syrah-dominant (Hermitage and Cote Rotie being the most notable examples), while wines from the southern Rhone are more commonly blends, with Grenache playing a more dominant role. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous example of a southern Rhone blend, but similar blends are found in wines from Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the regional Cotes du Rhone title.
Alongside Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (which are often collectively referred to as a GSM blend), a number of local varieties can be found in southern Rhone blends. This includes varieties like Carignan and Cinsaut, which are planted along the Mediterranean coast, but also more obscure varieties like Clairette, Counoise, Muscardin, Terret Noir and Vaccarese. It is not unheard of for southern Rhone red blends to also include white grape varieties like Viognier or Roussanne in small proportions.
