Syrah is widely planted throughout the world, but that was not so until the late twentieth century when Syrah was principally grown in the Rhone Valley and, as Shiraz, in Australia. Stylistically, the Palate Character of Syrah can vary depending on ripeness from a rich Round & Fleshy, Tone & Backbone, to a Powerful & Extracted. The flavors and aromas can also vary with a dark, sometimes sweet, fruit character, varying amount of spice, floral, and earth, and smoke, and meaty aromas and flavors.
Viognier
Vyo-NYAY
Viognier almost went extinct in the 1960s, but has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Although grown around the word, it is most famous for the full bodied intensely aromatic floral white wines with a sometimes oily texture grown on granite terraces in Condrieu, and small amount to Syrah in Côte Rôtie, just north of Condrieu, adding aromatic complexity.
Guigal, now one of the largest and most respected estates in the Rhône, was founded with humble beginnings by Etienne Guigal in 1946.
At 14-years-old, Etienne began working in one of the Rhône Valley’s largest vineyard’s pruning vines. Over the course of 15 years, he became cellar master before venturing out on his own. In 1961, his son Marcel took the reins and the winery now in its third generation is a standard bearer, especially for Côte-Rôtie, with steep terraced vineyards that surround the estate.
The wines of Guigal are a testament to entrepreneurship and vision. Across the board they exhibit high quality, with the single-vineyard Côte-Rôties of often ethereal character. For an estate this size to achieve such success is a testament to the detail-oriented work done in the vineyard and the painstaking attention in the winery.
