Guillaume Gonnet, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Southern Rhône, France [102G/L RS] (50cl.), 2021

Producer Profile

The energetic and charismatic Guillaume Gonnet is not your average Rhône winemaker.

Extremely open in his attitude, his curious, boundary-challenging approach extends far beyond wine. He has travelled to the far ends of the earth, revelling in the opportunity to surf some of the best waves in the world while learning his craft in various Australian and New Zealand regions. Returning to the Rhône with his Australian wife Kelly, Guillaume has put similar energy into his family estate and his new-found enthusiasm for Grenache-based wines. Pursuing biodynamics wherever possible, allowing the fruit to express itself freely through hands-off winemaking and displaying a fascination for the varying soils of the Rhône in his diverse wines, he’s just the sort of restless creative that we love to work with.

Viticulture

Planted on narrow terraces, known as "restanques" or "faysses", and supported by walls, the muscat vines have shaped this region's landscape.

Winemaking

After crushing the must is then immediately transferred to stainless steel vats and fermented at low temperatures (4° to 6° C) in order to preserve the extraction of aromas. The fermentation process usually lasts two to four weeks. When the time is right, fermentation is stopped by the addition of alcohol to the residue (must) so as to obtain a wine with an alcoholic content of about 15% in volume and around 110 grams per litre of residual sugar.

Tasting Note

This ‘vindoux naturel’ has an enticingaroma of flowers, peaches and apricots, which mingle with honey and ripe melon flavours. A seductively luscious sweet wine that is balanced by beautifully bright, sinuous acidity through to the finish.

Food Matching

Perfect with blue cheeses or pâte, but sublime with fruit based desserts or as an aperitif.