Generational winemaking

Generational winemaking

To call the Guigals committed to their wine would be an understatement of colossal proportions. Every day Philippe Guigal gets to the office at 6:30am only for his 82-year-old father, Marcel, to ask him why he’s so late. (Marcel, invariably, is there from 4:15.)

Vineyards and winemaking are everything to this producer, which in just three generations has become arguably the most recognisable and influential in the Rhône. Founded by Etienne Guigal, Philippe’s grandfather and founder of the Domaine, worked in the vineyards from the age of 15, eventually establishing Domaine Guigal in Ampuis in the Northern Rhône, in 1946.

Since then, Guigal has grown to encompass many of the best vineyards in appellations across Northern Rhône, as well as producing world-beating Southern Rhône wines with grapes sourced from trusted growers. Marcel and Philippe blind-taste hundreds of wines a day without fail, selecting only the top 1% for their blends.

Frequently earning perfect or near-perfect scores, Guigal’s wines have become standard-bearers across the appellations of the Rhône, but notably they are just as well thought of for their lower-priced wines as they are for their premium superstars.

For a deeper dive into all things Guigal, find a superb interview with Philippe produced by Guy Woodward for 67 Pall Mall here.