Rating:
96
Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media
Saturated ruby. Assertively perfumed, mineral-tinged red berry, cherry, lavender and incense scents show outstanding clarity and spicy lift. Concentrated yet lively black raspberry, cherry-cola, succulent herb and floral pastille flavors pick up a hint of spicy white pepper on the back half. The floral and red fruit notes shine on the strikingly long finish, featuring polished tannins and reverberating spice and mineral notes. All whole clusters.
Product Description:
Paul Fumoso is now at the helm (mostly) of Domaine du Gour de Chaulé, a bastion of traditional Gigondas. Fumoso is the son of Stéphanie Fumoso and the grandson of the formidable and intensely focused Aline Bonfils, who put this domaine on the map in the late 1970s. The Cuvée Tradition is made with whole clusters and raised in underground concrete vats, which is followed by 18 to 24 months of aging in large, neutral oak foudres before bottling without fining or filtration. The Cuvée Tradition has long been an archetype for Gigondas, with an almost embarrassingly low price, given its consistent quality over the decades. Paul Fumoso returned home in 2018 and now works alongside his mother, while his grandmother is still a benevolent and constant presence. Fumoso is sticking to the tried-and-true methods of the domaine but isn’t afraid to experiment. Fumoso also uses clay amphoras while the new bottling, Le Gour, made from ungrafted, 120-year-old vines and comprised of 99% Grenache and a token of Syrah, all with whole clusters, is raised in concrete. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous
