I am delighted to say many of the new Gigognan bottlings have arrived and they are joined by a new offering as well – namely the new Signargues! This Cotes du Rhone is from the village of Signargues, the southernmost of the Villages appellations. This area was originally settled and cultivated by the Romans and the name refers to Signs – the blood shed during many brutal battles fought here and Argues – a Roman city of the time. The soil is filled with sand over limestone clay and marl but has a lot of iron oxide (the blood from those battles?!?) in its makeup giving the sands and clays a distinct reddish hue. The warm climate and iron rich soils giving it its dark fruit, meaty character. The beauty of this wine lies in its supple palate feel, which better delivers the minerality and perfume it offers. This is a welcome new addition to our cast of Cotes-du-Rhone characters.

Traditionalists will love this little very impressively priced CDR. There's a nice bit of savoriness with the herb and earth scented nose. Bigger on the palate with dark red (a bit) and black (more so) fruits. The tannins are light to moderate and it is fleshy and a little plush. The herbs and earth flavors come at the beginning and then at the end with a fruit forward middle.

Cote du Rhone is always one of the first wine regions that pops into my head when I am looking for quality, well valued wines. The "Signargues" from Château Gigognan is a prime example of this, kicking way above it's price range. Leaning towards the darker fruits, with notes of boysenberries, black plums, violets, a touch of iodine and minerality. On the palate, the wine is juicy, ample, with savory dried herbs on the finish. Cheers!