Guigal Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge 375ml 2023

Guigal Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge is one of the best-known Rhône reds, a Syrah-based blend offered here in a handy half bottle.

In an appellation where Grenache usually leads, this blend gives Syrah the starring role, a reflection of the house's northern Rhône roots in Ampuis. Grenache and Mourvèdre complete the wine, sourced from vineyards across the Rhône Valley. The wine is known for being consistently good from year to year, and the 2023 offers a classic expression of Syrah's dark fruit and spice, rounded out by the warmth and softness of Grenache. The 375ml format is handy for a meal for two, or a glass or two without opening a full bottle.

Serve at around 16 degrees, perhaps with a slight chill in summer. It suits pizza, sausages, lamb kofta, beef burgers and hearty stews.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Red Wine
Style: Medium to full-bodied, Generous, Easy-drinking
Grape Varietal: Syrah (Shiraz)-led, with Grenache and Mourvèdre
Tastes Like: Comparable to a Syrah-led southern French blend, rounder and softer than a northern Rhône Syrah
Alcohol Percentage: 14%
Closure: Cork
Size: 375mL
Appellation: Côtes du Rhône AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée, France's protected designation of origin, which sets where and how the wine is made)
Region: Rhône Valley, France
Terroir: Vineyards across the Rhône Valley, from the granite of the north to the stony, sun-baked south
Aging: Aged in large oak foudres before bottling
Serving Temperature: Around 16℃, a little cooler in summer

E. Guigal was founded in 1946 in Ampuis, the village beneath the slopes of Côte-Rôtie, by Étienne Guigal, who had worked at the Vidal-Fleury house there since his teens. His son Marcel took over in 1961 and made Guigal the best-known name in the Rhône Valley, and his grandson Philippe now leads the winemaking. The family bought Vidal-Fleury in 1984 and the Renaissance Château d'Ampuis in 1995, added the Grippat and de Vallouit domaines in 2001, and makes its own oak barrels at Ampuis. The house is known for patient ageing, giving its wines more time in cask before release than most.

In an appellation where Grenache usually leads, Guigal's Côtes du Rhône gives Syrah the starring role, with Grenache and Mourvèdre completing the blend from vineyards across the valley. It is known for being reliably good from one vintage to the next. The half bottle is handy for a weeknight dinner for two, or a glass or two without opening a full bottle.

Vegetables: Tian of zucchini, tomato and eggplant, or ratatouille
Grills: Lamb kofta or beef burgers
Pasta: Pasta with a sausage and tomato sauce
Weeknight: Pizza or a cheese toastie with ham

Banon: A Provençal goat's cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves, the regional choice
Cantal: Firm and buttery, an easy match
Mimolette: Bright orange and nutty, good with a soft, generous red
Tomme de Savoie: Mild and earthy, ideal for a weeknight board

Tian Provençal (Baked Vegetable Gratin from Provence)

Ingredients (Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side):

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 eggplant
• 2 zucchini
• 4 ripe Roma tomatoes
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 2 tsp herbes de Provence
• 40g Parmesan or Gruyère, finely grated
• 2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 190℃. Soften the onions and garlic in 2 tbsp of the oil for 10 minutes, then spread them over the base of a shallow baking dish.
2. Slice the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes into rounds about 5mm thick.
3. Arrange the slices upright in tight, alternating rows over the onions.
4. Scatter with thyme, season well and drizzle with the remaining oil.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover, sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake for 20-25 minutes more, until golden.
6. Serve warm with crusty bread, or alongside grilled lamb.

A tian takes its name from the shallow earthenware dish it is baked in, and in Provence it is the way summer vegetables come to the table. A generous, soft Côtes du Rhône has the body for the roasted eggplant and enough freshness for the tomato, which makes the pairing an easy weeknight one.