THE GUIGAL family, an iconic producer of the Rhone Valley in France, has its heart in the northern appellation of Cote Rotie, where syrah (shiraz) is grown, and a little viognier. No other grapes are permitted. Guigal was founded by Etienne Guigal in 1946 in the small town of Ampuis. The company became one of the leading international lights of the Rhone under the auspices of Etienne's son, Marcel, who almost single-handedly led the revival of the small appellation after he took over the business in 1961.
Third-generation Philippe is now at the helm of the business, having taken over 11 years ago, aged just 22. With three degrees, from the universities of Dijon and Bordeaux, and an MBA for which he studied in 17 countries, as well as a lifetime of wine experience, he is well placed to take the company to its next level.
The entire Cote Rotie appellation, which translates as ‘roasted slope', is just over 200ha and oozes viticultural history from every leaf pore. Records show vines were cultivated here 2400 years ago. It includes some of the most inhospitable vineyard terrain, where vineyards have a slope of 45 degrees - impossible to work except with the most determined manual labour. Machines are unheard of; it's even too steep for animal labour. Many of Guigal's vineyards are on these slopes.
Traditionally the appellation is split into the ‘blonde slopes' - Cote Blonde - and the ‘brown slopes' - Cote Brune - and a certain style of wine emanates from each patch of dirt, or terroir, as the French might say. Philippe explaines: "Cote Blonde has schist soils of a calcareous nature, and mostly southern exposure. It expresses finesse [of syrah]. Cote Brune extends to the north, the soils have more clay and iron oxides, which produce more powerful and structured wines, with deeper colour." Guigal's ‘Brune et Blonde' label blends wines from both slopes.
Guigal's philosophy on the use of oak might raise a few eyebrows in Australia. The top wines spend three and a half years in 100 per cent new oak as part of their maturation. Philippe says: "My father and grandfather were fascinated by the history of winemaking. They read in 150- to 200-year-old books that the first growths [in Cote Rotie] were aged for four years in new pieces." - a barrel of 228 litres, three litres bigger than the size of oak barrel commonly used, a barrique.
"When my grandfather and father started to buy vineyards in the 1960s, they worked on these purist traditions, which was very controversial in the '60s. Most producers were using 40- to 50-year-old chestnut barrels at that time." Philippe stresses: "You cannot leave every wine for so long in oak because you would get oak juice. You have to know the terroir and the vinification."
Apart from the oak thing, Philippe often is asked about the use of viognier with syrah, which is enormously trendy in Australia. Cote Rotie is both the birthplace of syrah, and of syrah-with-a-bit-of-viognier, and it is to this French appellation that countries such as Australia, California and South Africa look for inspiration for the syrah grape variety. But Philippe has been unable to help new world producers, because, he says, "the vineyard is co-planted with viognier. It was done 70 years ago, and when a viognier vine dies, we replace it with a viogner. We try to keep the percentage of viognier consistent."
Chateau d'Ampuis is the Guigal family home and business headquarters, having been bought in 1995 and painstakingly restored over the next 11 years. The oldest parts of the building are from the 11th and 12th centuries, with the chateau itself dating from the 16th century. Coming full circle, the chateau is where, in the 1930s, Etienne met Philippe's grandmother, Marcelle, when she was working there as a housemaid. Now it is a national monument, says Philippe. "We do a lot of receptions there. All the growers [in the Cote Rotie] can use the chateau if they want."
Phillipe explains that after the first growths of La Landonne, La Turque and La Mouline - top-top wines made in tiny quantities - the very best fruit goes into the Chateau label [See box]. But the Guigal business is not just Cote Rotie, he continues. "We have three business. The estate, which is about 60ha in northern Rhone, on steep vineyards only. We also purchase grapes from small growers in the northern Rhone, where we do all the work and the vinification. And we have a pure negociant business in the southern Rhone, where we buy finished wines."
The full list of appellations worked by the Guigal family is: Northern Rhone: Cote Rotie, Hermitage, St Joseph, Crozes Hermitage (red and white) and Condrieu; Southern Rhone: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes du Rhone (red, white, rose), Gigondas and Tavel.
The family is delighted to have won the awards for first and third places in Winestate's World's Greatest Shiraz Challenge III. Philippe is charming, disarming and humble when he says: "My father and I are unusual French people. We taste a lot of [syrah and viognier] wines, from Australia, California and around the world. There are outstanding terroirs everywhere, different terroirs. I have lot of respect for the traditions in Australia. We share this idea of tasting wines throughout the world, and tasting wines next to each other, where wines are not competitors; they're just different."
There's been another celebration in the Guigal family, as 33-year-old Philippe married in July. He married the girl next door ... to the family summer home in Corsica. Eve is already part of the business, working on the marketing and communications - her specialty.