Gigondas,

The tranquil town of Gigondas sits at the foot of the imposing Dentelles de Montmirail. Some look on Gigondas as a poor man’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape and although prices are frequently lower than its renowned neighbour, Gigondas can produce wines that equal if not surpass it. This is undoubtedly the case with the wines of Michel Farraud and his three daughters. He produces just the one cuvée – an excellent value for money wine.The secret of his success is simply hard work. He gets things right in the vineyard, restricting yields and discarding grapes while, in what can frankly be described as a bit-part cellar, he lets the wine rest in old wooden casks for a year. Michel doesn’t fine or filter his traditional Southern Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault which gives the wine its unbridled array of chocolate, black truffle, coffee bean and black cherry flavours.