Gigondas 40 year

Afin de Célébrer son 40^e anniversaire
l'Appellation Gigondas a le plaisir de vous inviter
le samedi 16 avril 2011 au dîner de gala
préparé par le chef du restaurant l'Oustalet Laurent Deconinck.

La remise des prix du 4^e Concours des Vins de Gigondas
aura lieu lors de l'apéritif précédant le dîner à 19h
à la Maison de Gigondas

Nearly all of the guests were local winegrowers. Lucky me had got an invitation which I take as an recognition of my work to promote the wines from the appellation.
Even though I have visited around 45 producers of Gigondas, I saw many new faces and I might have become more known to participating producers as I used my camera during the evening. To those I haven't yet visited: See you next time.

I must admit, that it was a big surprice to me to learn how important rugby is for people in the area. A former rugby player from the national French team, Philippe Sella, was invited to entertain by telling stories about rugby which he did for quite a while during the evening, supplied by a former rugby referee and the president of the syndicate as host.
I think that my neighbour at the table exaggerated a bit when he said that wines from Rhone were unthinkable without rugby.
I noticed that when Mr. Sella said something all the guests young or old, men or women were listening very concentrated.

A Bask choir of 8-10 men were the mucical entertainment and they did it with great succes before and during the dinner. the best singer had solo series of great musical quality. The accompagnement was an accordion and at the indoor scene also a keybord

The food was exceptionally good. Of course it wasn't easy to serve for so many guests at the same time and keep the food warm, but excellent food doesn't need to be hot.

Menu

St Jaques-Vanille "Juste" Saisie et Girolles au Beurre de Gingembre

Denti de Méditerranée et Langouste Grillée
En bouille de Pomme Terre et Artichaut violet, Pistou de Roquette

L'Agneau de grillon rôti. Blette et Pignons de Méditerranée

Les Chèvres du Barroux, le Rotulu Corse, le Comté affiné 30 mois
et salade de mesclun

L'Opéra des Dentelles

The two first plats demanded a white wine and as the Gigondas appellations is not allowed to make whites they had arranged with friends in Corsica to bring some bottles. As a Dane you are not familiar with these wines. The two wines served were made from the grape Fermentino and were very good wines.

Before the main plat, lamb tournedos, some old wines of Gigondas were served. The list below are wines served at our table. It might be different from the wines at other tables. All the wines were very good. The 39 years old wine from Amadieu Gigondas 1972 was very good, and will probably still be in good shape during the next ten years.

Domaine Saint Gayan Gigondas	1996
Domaine Pesquier Gigondas	1994
Domaine de la Bouïssiere, Gigondas La Font de Tonin	1999
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas	1991
Pierre Amadieu Gigondas	1991
Domaine de Font-Sane Gigondas	1991
Gabriel Meffre Gigondas Laurus	1998
Pierre Amadieu Gigondas	1972

The photos below are listed in three categories
The outdoor wellcome and presentation of winners of Concours de Gigondas.
From the tables during dinner.
From the scene during the evening

The guests arrive to Maison de Gigondas. You can get a rosé or a red Gigondas and several small starters, Mises en bouche, are served

To the left Marie-Claude and Pierre Varenne Domaine du Grand Bourjassot. The gentleman with the yellow tie is Jean-Pierre Cartier, Domaine les Goubert

Three Graces, Caroline Brechet, married to Julien Brechet, Domaine des Bosquets, Myriam Boudier Domaine les Florets and Celine Chauvet, Domaine du Grapillon d'Or.

Veronique Gras, the wife of Yves Gras Domaine Santa Duc, Lydia Boutière, married to Guy Boutière Domaine du Pesquier, Noémie Boutière married to Mathieu Boutière Domaine du Pesquier, Aurélie Boutière , the daughter of Guy and Lydia Boutière, Danièle Alazard, Colline Saint Jean and Géraldine Boutière, daughter of Guy and Lydia Boutière.

Best Gigondas Rosé 2010 by Concours de Gigondas:
1. Domaine les Florets (Myriam Boudier)
2. Gigondas La Cave Signature (A supplayer, Frédéric Vache)
3. Chateau de Montmirail (Jérôme Benoit is stand in for Philippe Bouteiller)

Best Gigondas 2006 by Concours de Gigondas:
1. Domaine du Pesquier. (Mathieu Boutinière)
2. Notre Dame des Pallières (Boris Roux)
3. Gigondas La Cave Signature (A supplayer, Frédéric Vache)

Best Gigondas 2009 by Concours de Gigondas:
1. Domaine des Bosquets (Julien Brechet)
2. Domaine du Terme (Anne-Marie Gaudin Riche )
3. Amadieu Gigondas Cuvée Pas de l'Aigle (Pierre Amadieu)
The tasting panel were 12 sommeliers.

Pierre Amadieu together with Dominique Ay and his wife, Domaine Raspail Ay

.

Guy Boutière Domaine du Pesquier and Pierre Varenne Domaine du Grand Bourjassot. Back to the right Jean Pierre Meffre, Domaine Saint Gayan and back to the left Hervé Bessac Domaine Bessac

Myriam and Eric Michel, Domaine Cros de la Mure
.

Anne-Marie Gaudin Riche Domaine du Terme and her father Rollan Gaudin, the mayor of Gigondas.

A view into Salle du Fête at Maison du Gigondas before people arrived. There were around 25 tables called grape names. We were placed at a table called Clairette. I have been wondering how they found 25 names.

The first group to settle at a table were people who certainly remember the day day of birth 40 years ago.
The gentleman to the left (inserted) is Jacques (or Jack) Meffre the oldest son of Gabriel Meffre. The gentleman with glasses to the right is another son of Gabriel Meffre, Christian Meffre Chateau de Raspail

When the first plat was served everyone became very concentrated as you can see. From the left Aurélie Pujol, legal advisor at Inter-Rhone. Thierry Faravel from Domaine la Boïssiere, the rugbyplayer/journalist Philippe Sella and Louis Barruol.

Celine Chauvet, Domaine du Grapillon d'Or, Myriam Boudier Domaine les Florets, Mrs. Varenne Domaine Varenne and Marjorie Vache Clos de Cazaux

Véronique Cunty and Bernard, Domaine de Font-Sane.

Pierre Amadieu and his wife Pierre Amadieu He brought some remarkable bottles Gigondas 1972 - probably able to be kept until 40^e anniversaire.

Jean-Yves Perez from Domaine de l'Obrieu, married to Cecile who has some influence at her parent's estate Domaine du Grand Bourjassot in Gigondas.

From the left Mathieu Boutiére from Domaine du Pesquier, Hervé Bessac, Domaine Bessac and Elodie Roux from the Syndicat of Gigondas. I have her to thank for an invitation - she is a clever girl in my opinion!

Louis Barroul Chateau de Saint Cosme is married to a very nice girl from England. She has once worked at Saint-Cosme but is now working as a nurse teaching other nurses English so that they are able to take care of tourists

The three sisters from Domaine Cayron, Roseline, Delphine and Cendrine Faraud

To the right Jérôme Benoit from Le Mas des Flauzièrs. He seems to know ever one in Rhone and everyone knows him. He makes wines from at least 6 appellations.

During a specially cheerful song everybody were swinging their napkings very cherfully. Here Thierry Faravel from Domaine la Boïssiere and the former rugby player.

The genleman in the centre is Yves Gras from Domaine Santa Duc with his wife Veronique. To the left of Yves Gras is Claude Roux fra Notre Dames des Pallières. To the right is Guy Boutière from Domaine du Pesqiers

From the left a former rugby refery, the rugby player Philippe Sella and the president of the syndicate Frank Alexandre.
In my country our rugby players are not famous. I think Mr. Sellas position in France is something to compare with Michael Laudrup (football) in Denmark

At a birthday you often look forward. Local young rugby players were called to the scene and were celebrated. They had the opportunity to shake hands with an idol and they gave to him a bottle of good Gigondas and a rugby ball of wood or stone.

Two local well known senior rugby players Jérôme Benoit and Louis Barruol were called on stage to be celebrated. If you see a sportsarena in Provence it's very likely to be a rugby play field.

It can be hard even for a former rugby player to be at the scene. Here he is obviously telling interesting stories to the former refery and to Louis Barroul Louis Barruol.

Jack Meffre is delivering his speech., He is a son of the legendary Gabriel Meffre who managed - from a modest start as a winegrower - to leave around 900 ha of vineyards and a negociant firm when he died in 1987.
Today his son Hugues Meffre manage the domains interited by Jack Meffre.

Dominque Ay, Domaine Raspail Ay. He was for many years the president of the Syndicate of Gigondas.

Julien Brechet, Domaine des Bosquets introduce two men representing the negociants of Gigondas, Pierre Amadieu from Pierre Amadieu and Etienne Meffre, Operation Director at Gabriel Meffre.

Three dignitaries, the mayor, the former president and the president of today are saying words to end the party.
.

Young winegrowers of Gigondas are singing Coupe Santo with text in provencal by Frédéric Mistral.
From the left Roseline and Cendrine Faraud from Domaine Cayron, Mathieu Boutiére from Domaine du Pesquier, Julien Brechet, Domaine des Bosquets, the lady hiding two men is Myriam Boudier Domaine les Florets, Florence Cartier from Domaine Goubert are not able to hide Jérôme Benoit from Le Mas des Flauzièrs. Cecile Perez Domaine du Grand Bourjassot, Bertrand Stehelin from Domaine Pallières et Pied Gu , Delphine Faraud Domaine du Cayron, the mayor Rollan Gaudin, Domaine du Terme, the president of the syndicate Franck Alexander, Domaine des Teyssonnières and Stéphanie Fumoso from Domaine du Gour de Chaulé.