Guillaume Gonnet, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Southern Rhône France

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 beyond wine.

He 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, now with his Australian wife Kelly, Guillaume has shown similar energy for his family estate and for his own nascent project. This land locked surfer may be miles from the ocean but is happily riding the wave of new found enthusiasm for Grenache based wines. Pursuing biodynamics wherever possible, allowing his fruit to express itself freely through hands-off winemaking and displaying his fascination for the varying soils of the Rhône through his diverse range of 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.

Varieties

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains 100%