Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2019: Report and top scoring wines
Matt Walls found the best wines from these appellations showed structure, freshness and vibrancy to match the weight of the hot 2019 vintage although there are some that are overly tannic and clunky.
This is a structured, concentrated, rich vintage for Gigondas. Like the whole of the southern Rhône the wines do occasionally suffer from high alcohol and overripeness, but there is still a lot to choose from.
Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme describes 2019 as ‘a slightly hotter version of 2010, or even 2016,’ and says that yields in Gigondas averaged 30hl/ha.
Scroll down to see Matt’s top Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2019 tasting notes and scores
Vacqueyras is a hot, early-ripening appellation, and much of the southern part has dry, free-draining soils. The resulting wines are very tannic indeed, and the more basic bottlings are sometimes astringent.
But they are largely better than the forgettable 2018s. The very best have freshness and vibrancy to balance the weight and concentration, and a handful will be long-lived. Most though will never blossom into particularly elegant wines, so better to enjoy them young.
It’s not a brilliant year for Beaumes de Venise either, at least in red. It’s a very ripe year, high in alcohol, and often quite clunky – with a few notable exceptions that offer great value for money. The sweet Muscats are better: rich and vivid.
Quick links
Individual appellation analysis and top-scoring wines:
Key producers in 2019
Domaine des Bosquets
Domaine de Longue Toque
Moulin de la Gardette
Château de Saint Cosme
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux
Domaine du Terme
Value picks
Domaine des Bernardins Beaumes-de-Venise rouge 2019
Domaine la Fourmone Gigondas ‘Le Fauquet’ 2019
Domaine La Roubine Gigondas 2019
Domaine du Terme Gigondas ‘Réserve’ 2019
Le Clos de Caveau Vacqueyras rouge ‘Fruit Sauvage’ 2019
La Ferme du Mont Vacqueyras rouge ‘Le Rif’ 2019
Domaine la Ligière Vacqueyras blanc ‘Le Chemin Blanc’ 2019
See Matt’s top Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2019 tasting notes and scores
See also
Rhône 2019 En Primeur: Full report plus top scoring winesNorthern Rhône 2019 report plus top scoring winesSouthern Rhône 2019 report plus top scoring wines
Château de St Cosme, Hominis Fides, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
A seriously upright and skybound style, so much energy and very long. It's a seriously tannic wine this year, but elegant with it - and...
2019
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Château de St Cosme, Le Poste, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
Extraordinary tannic structure for a 100% Grenache, with intensity of fruit, salinity and great driving freshness throughout. Extraordinary depth and floral on the finish, violets....
2019
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Château de St Cosme, Le Claux, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
Very dense, somewhat earthbound for now with an extremely dense tannic structure. Great energy and salinity, very vibrant with a lovely acid structure. Will take...
2019
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Moulin de la Gardette, Ventabren, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
Aromatically slightly subdued, though there is a sense of great freshness. Thyme emerges after a while along with a smoky bacon note. Fluid and fast-moving...
2019
Moulin de la GardetteGigondas
Domaine de Longue Toque, Hommage à Gabriel Meffre, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
Very full-bodied, lush and flowing, fresh and velvety. The acidity is quite marked here, the tannins lush and opulent. Long finish with a good sense...
2019
Domaine de Longue ToqueGigondas
Domaine des Bosquets, Réserve, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
A full-bodied, harmonious blend, not quite as aggressively concentrated as his single-vineyard wines this year. Very tannic still, and well balanced despite its enormous size....
2019
Domaine des BosquetsGigondas
Domaine du Terme, Réserve, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
Dark and brooding, sticky black fruit coulis. This is full-bodied with well-worked tannins that are still very assertive, but this is only the start of...
2019
Domaine du TermeGigondas
Domaine Santa Duc, Clos Derrière Vieille, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
Palate coating fruit and very fine tannins in abundance. A highly structural wine, where the acidity, tannin and alcohol are really to the fore, the...
2019
Domaine Santa DucGigondas
Moulin de la Gardette, Tradition, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2019
Somewhat introverted initially, some spicy black fruits take some coaxing out and then violets emerge with air too. There’s a satisfying weight and presence without...
2019
Moulin de la GardetteGigondas
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Oumage, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
Light, gentle and refined. Acidity is good, but this is very different to a typical Vacqueyras - featherlight Grenache, real purity and long. Alcohol is...
2019
Domaine Le Sang des CaillouxVacqueyras
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Lopy, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
This is sleek, straight, with a sense of depth and direction. An introverted nose for now. Great purity and drive on the palate however. Real...
2019
Domaine Le Sang des CaillouxVacqueyras
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Un Sang Blanc, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
Perfect balance, gently oily, beautifully fresh and gently mouthwatering. Slight alcohol warmth on the gently saline, long, floral, honeyed finish. Balanced acidity and also a...
2019
Domaine Le Sang des CaillouxVacqueyras
La Ferme du Mont, Le Rif, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
Incredible expressive nose, juniper, raspberry, blackberry, liquorice and, resin. Full-bodied, very yielding and fruity with a lovely sense of freshness and succulent juiciness. Long finish....
2019
La Ferme du MontVacqueyras
Domaine Les Ondines, Clos des Frères, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
Touch of volatility on the nose. Very full-bodied, with concentrated berry fruit intense acidity. Aromatically open and defined with a vinous, concentrated, intense palate. Deep...
2019
Domaine Les OndinesVacqueyras
Clos de Caveau, Fruit Sauvage, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
Freshly crushed black cherries and violets on the nose. Very fruity and vibrant, with a good squeeze of ripe tannin on the finish and good...
2019
Clos de CaveauVacqueyras
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Floureto, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
Showing some reduction for now, but there’s several months to rectify this before bottling. Medium-bodied, blackberry and redcurrant, this is very svelte and ripe but...
2019
Domaine Le Sang des CaillouxVacqueyras
Domaine des Bernardins, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2019
Immediately interesting on the nose, the herbs and flowers come first, thyme and lavender, then the raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied, good sense of freshness and definition...
2019
Domaine des BernardinsBeaumes de Venise
Domaine la Ligière, Les Garennes, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2019
This is lovely! The spicy Syrah really jumps out of the glass. Blueberries and smoke. Mouthfilling, fresh and vibrant with a lovely sense of tension....
2019
Domaine la LigièreBeaumes de Venise
