Magnum of The Society's 150th Anniversary Gigondas 2018

More on the wine

There was no such wine available to The Society in 1874. The origins of Gigondas are Roman. Gigondas, from the Latin jocunditas, or ‘fun’, was founded as a recreational area for retired legionaries who planted vines and other crops and made wine. Fast forward to the early years of The Society, and Gigondas wine was mostly shipped in bulk to Beaune, providing an essential blending element in red Burgundy.

Many of the top estates date back from those days, which were made difficult by the arrival of diseases and wars. Peace brought recovery and the efforts of many local families transformed the area. Grenache was chosen as the principal red variety, and the vineyards extended upwards into the mountain thanks to pickaxe and dynamite. Cru status was awarded in 1971 and today, members are able to enjoy the real thing, Gigondas, labelled as such.

And so, the anniversary cuvée. Its genesis was a hugely successful masterclass held for members in London and Newcastle, coinciding with the publication of an extraordinary book on Gigondas, much of it written and edited by Louis Barruol.

The Barruol family was one of those pioneer families and creators of Gigondas. For the masterclass, Louis was joined by four other growers representing Gigondas families – Amadieu, Meunier, Faraval and Vache. The event was an instant success, and the thought came to me: what if I could create a once-in-a-lifetime blend from all five estates? Wine is about people as much as it is about anything else, and these families all get on and respect each other. The answer was a resounding yes and so was born The Society’s 150th Anniversary Gigondas 2018, if nothing else a great Rhône vintage.