94/100 Wine Spectator
94/100 Wine Enthusiast
92/100 Robert Parker
15.5/20 Jancis Robinson
92/100 Decanter (2020 Vintage)
94/100 James Suckling (2019 Vintage)
14/20 Jancis Robinson (2019 Vintage)
94/100 Wine Spectator (2017 Vintage)
94/100 Robert Parker (2017 Vintage)
91/100 Wine Enthusiast (2017 Vintage)
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson (2017 Vintage)
92/100 Robert Parker (2016 Vintage)
18.5/20 - Decanter (2016 vintage)
92/100 - Vinous (2016 vintage)
91/100 - Wine Spectator (2016 vintage)
91/100 - Wine Enthusiast (2016 vintage)
15/20 Bettane+Desseauve (2016 vintage)
90/100 Decanter (2014 Vintage)
89/100 Wine Enthusiast (2014 Vintage)
92/100 Tom Cannavan (2010 Vintage)

Anna Lee C. Iijima, Wine Enthusiast "Powerfully ripe yet vital and fresh, this full-bodied blend of Grenache (65%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Syrah (15%) was sourced from the highest vineyard plots in the producer's estate. It's an intense, fleshy sip heaving with sun-drenched black cherry and preserved-berry flavors accented by hints of bay leaf, crushed pepper and anise. Supple tannins and fresh acidity make it immediately enjoyable but the wine should stay at peak through 2028 and hold further still."

Wine Spectator "Packed with red- and black-currant fruit inlaid with licorice snap, garrigue and tar notes, this stays racy and focused in feel thanks to a bright iron–mineral streak that runs underneath it all. Rock solid. Best from 2022 through 2038. 6,700 cases made, 1,000 cases imported"

Robert Parker "Always among the top wines at this address, the 2018 Gigondas Domaine Grande Romane delivers once again. Hedonistic waves of vanilla and ripe cherries greet the nose, while the full-bodied palate is expansive yet structured, framed by softly dusty tannins that turn silkier on the long finish. While decidedly modern in style, it looks to have the inherent substance and balance to drink well for up to a decade."

Decanter "Good weight and concentration, although the aromatics are discreet for now. This is well-balanced, there's a touch of oak that helps build some weight and length into the wine. Longer than most. Smooth and satisfying. Old vines at 400m, aged for 18 months - 60% in barriques (30% new) and 40% in foudres. (2020 Vintage)

James Suckling "At once rich and fleshy, yet fresh and wonderfully dry, this is an excellent Gigondas that already gives so much pleasure, but has many years ahead of it. I love the way the red-fruit, terra-cotta and Mediterranean-herb aromas expand in the glass. Super interplay of fruit, minerality and fine tannins at the long finish. From 50-year-old vines, growing at 400 meters altitude. Drinkable now, but best from 2023." (2019 Vintage)

Wine Spectator "Ripe and juicy in feel, with a wound-up core of raspberry, black currant and cherry pâte de fruit flavors waiting to stretch out, while an undercurrent of alder, tobacco and licorice root notes moves through. Will be a winner when fully knit. Best from 2023 through 2035. 6,500 cases made, 1,000 cases imported " (2017 Vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "Sourced from high-elevation vineyards of limestone and marl, this blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah offers piercing blackberry and cherry flavors highlighted by tangs of smoky, stony minerality. Aged partially in new oak, it's fresh in fruit but finishes on lingering notes of smoked nut, clove and cinnamon. At peak now through 2027, the wine should hold further still. Anna Lee C. Iijima" (2017 Vintage)

Robert Parker "A blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah aged in a mix of barrels and foudres, the 2017 Gigondas Domaine Grande Romane looks every bit as good as the barrel sample did last year, layering subtle cedar and vanilla shadings over ripe berries and stone fruit. Full-bodied, creamy and lush, the only question will be if it is just too modern and hedonistic for some readers." (2017 Vintage)

Wine Spectator "Fresh and pure, with a pretty beam of raspberry and plum coulis flavors laced with black tea, cinnamon and mineral notes. The silky finish has a lot of charm Drink now through 2021. 6,600 cases made, 1,000 cases imported" (2016 Vintage)

Decanter "Expressive – leaps out of the glass: tangy, fresh pineapple, nectarine and citrus aromas framed by subtle oak and a burst of dried fruit flavour. Full, fat and fresh" (2014 Vintage)

Tom Cannavan "(2015) This comes from a parcel of 50-year-old vines planted at more than 400 metres above sea level, and it was aged in all new oak barrels. It has a terrifically intense, glossy but tight nose, the sheer physicality of the wine tightly-furled and muscular, with some cedar and graphite and a core of savoury, liquorice-touched black fruit. There are gamy, earthy notes in the background and on the palate, although there is abundant sweetness of fruit, it is grippy concentration, that liquorice intensity, that drives this for now. Yes, the oak is prominent, it is s "Fragrances of black fruits (black currant and blackberry), red fruits cooked with vanilla (raspberry, strawberry) with toasted flavours of thyme, laurel and black olives. Powerful tannins fill the mouth with delicate liquorice and peppery notes. An astonishing balance of complexity, power and roundness."
lick and commanding, and it has 14.5% alcohol, but what prevents it from being over-bearing is the edge of clarity from mineral/steely acidity and the freshness of the fruit character. Superb stuff that they suggest will cellar for at least 10 years." (2010 Vintage)

Wine Advocate "looks every bit as good as the barrel sample did last year, layering subtle cedar and vanilla shadings over ripe berries and stone fruit. Full-bodied, creamy and lush." (2017 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Pierre Amadieu - The Gentle Giant of Gigondas"

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."
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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.