Respect of the quality of Gigondas wines is controlled by a Quality Control Charter (cahier des charges) put in place by the AOC Union which is also a recognised Quality Control Organisation. This Charter of regulations outlines the requirements for managing a vineyard, the harvest, the vinification and maturing process in order to obtain the right to be called an Appellation d’Origine Controlée AOC Gigondas. An independent inspection organisation carries out controls regularly to ensure that these regulations are respected by the winemakers of Gigondas.
The Philis Laboratories situated in the centre of the village participates actively in the research for quality across the different stages of working and making the wines.
In collaboration with Inter Rhône, several parcels of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre covering different areas of the appellation are surveyed in order to control the maturity levels. The results are communicated to all the producers in order that they can decide the best date to start the harvest. The laboratory is also above all an important advice bureau, for information and of course for the analysis made available to the winemakers of Gigondas.
The engraved Gigondas bottle is also an element which participates towards the quality of the wine. The engraving makes direct reference to the village’s history (a coin from the 15th century, the horn from the Orange family, an olive branch). This characteristic bottle enables bottled wines to develop to their full potential and in the best conditions.
Finally the research for quality continues right up to the point of sale with a procedure known « Suivi Aval de la Qualité ». Every year, forty samples are selected from various supermarkets and wholesalers in France and Europe in order to test the evolution of the wines at their final stage in the chain. The bottles are selected form the shelves and «blind tasted ». Any quality faults are communicated to the producer/bottler in order to find a solution.
The quality of the Gigondas wines throughout all their different stages of elaboration is a constant occupation for all participants within the appellation.
