Gigondas Blanc: Exciting and New

There are fewer things more change-resistant than French wine appellation laws. It took the winegrowers in Southern Rhône's Gigondas region more than a decade of lobbying to secure the right to produce white wines that could bear the name of their esteemed cru. Finally, the Gigondas blancs, which debuted with the 2023 vintage, are making their way to the market.

- BY KRISTEN BIELER

Before the 2023 vintage, white wines made in Gigondas were required to be labeled as more generic Côtes du Rhône. Those of us who seek them out know how special they can be—and why the creation of the Gigondas blanc designation is so exciting: It means that more whites will be made and quality will soar even higher as vignerons lavish more care and energy on them.

The Grenache-based reds of Gigondas have long established it among the elite appellations in France. Complex and ageworthy, they can offer more freshness and minerality than those of the region's more famous neighbor, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a result of limestone soils, cooler temperatures and higher elevation in the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains.

These same terroir attributes are ideal for white wines as well, and in particular Clairette, a unique variety with outstanding potential. It's required to make up 70% of every Gigondas blanc cuvée.