Domaine du terme
gigondas

                 

Côtes du Rhône 2011
Wine writers are suggesting that the 2011 vintage in the Rhone is fruity and drinker-friendly. Our newly arrived example from Terme confirms this view. Anne-Marie's wines always exhibit poise and clarity, and this vintage shows enticing fruits on the nose, a well extracted palate, excellent balance, and a long finish. This CdR is made primarily from Sablet vineyards (see sidebar).
Gigondas 2009
"Vivid ruby. Spicy, floral-accented aromas of raspberry, sassafras, lavender and allspice are enhanced by a subtle mineral overtone. Lively and precise, offering sweet red berry flavors and a nervy mineral spine. Shows noteworthy energy on the finish, leaving tangy red fruit and spice notes behind. 90-92 points" (Josh Reynolds -- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar).
Gigondas Réserve 2003 (the black label)
dark black fruits on the nose, follows on palate, quite big with bright tannins leading to very good length. Some smoke. (JPO April 2008)  - Sorry,  all gone!!!

Rolland Gaudin is, among other things, the Mayor of Gigondas. He remains involved in both vineyard and cave, while much of the daily work of the domaine has passed to Anne-Marie, his daughter and a certified oenologist. "[She] might have been an architect and left the domaine to her brother. But he became an engineer and was “not close enough to the earth” to become a peasant vigneron. As a fourth generation winemaker, Anne-Marie feels that “you need to be flexible, pragmatic and intuitive” if you want to make good wine.
She now has twelve hectares of vines in Sablet, eleven in Gigondas, and three in Vacqueyras. Only two hectares of the Sablet vines are used for Sablet AOC wines; the rest of the grapes go into a Cotes du Rhone. With a large plot of old grenache in les Briguieres and two other plots of the same variety in slightly sandier soils nearer to the village and a large plot of mixed varieties against the Trignon river which forms the boundary with Gigondas, Anne-Marie has several different terroirs from which to make her wines.
She also believes firmly in the traditions handed down through the generations. She came to the estate “with her diploma” from Macon and had to learn the importance of tradition in the face of all the theory. Her grandparents “knew what they were doing.” She is responsible for the winemaking. Her father still “consults” in the vines – “that is, he gives orders”. They pick their grapes by hand, choosing the plots according to the maturity and weather. Again, it comes down to that peasant flexibility." (from Sablet & Its Winemakers - http://sablet-wine.com)
Harvest is done by hand and fermentation is carefully controlled producing elegant wines that reflect the best of both traditional and modern winemaking.
The Gaudins have a fiercely loyal private clientle in France who appreciate the consistent quality and drinkablity of all these wines. A very significant portion of their production is sold through their wine store on the village square in Gigondas and at the annual salons of the Vignerons Independents. For information about wine, visiting, hiking, or staying in Gigondaas see the Domaine's impressive new website:  http://www.domaine-du-terme.com