Appellation: Gigondas
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre
Size: 75cl
CUVÉE CONFIDENTIELLE ‘NUMBER 8’ AVAILABLE BY BOTTLE AT DISCRETION AND UPON REQUEST.
 
Domaine Gour de Chaulé was founded in 1900 by Eugene Bonfils, the great-grandfather of the current proprietor, Stephanie Fumoso. All the wine produced at the estate was sold in bulk to negociants until 1970 when Madame Rolande Beaumet, Eugene’s daughter and the grandmother of Stéphanie, began to bottle a small percentage of the estate’s wine for sale to private clients. Madame Beaumet’s daughter, Aline Bonfils, ascended to the head of the domaine in the early 1980s and it was under the direction of Aline that the tradition of estate bottling really expanded. 
The domaine comprises 15 hectares, 10 of which are within Gigondas with the remaining 5 hectares situated in the surrounding communes of Vacqueyras and Violes. Aline Bonfils believes strongly in Grenache as the heart and soul of Gigondas and she has transmitted this philosophy to her daughter, Stéphanie. Thus, 85% of the vineyards are planted to Grenache, with approximately 10% dedicated to Syrah and Mourvedre and the balance planted to Cinsault. Further, this family has always conducted their affairs with the understanding that minimal intervention in the vineyards and in the cave is essential to preserving the essential character of the wines of this important appellation. Note, particularly, that the red wines here are produced from grapes that are not destemmed, an approach that we believe is essential to provide the classic character of Gigondas. 
In 2018, Stéphanie’s son Paul—the first male in the family lineage for four generations—began working at Gour de Chaulé full-time. Paul is remarkably spirited and highly articulate, exuding a confidence that belies his young age and echoing a bit of his grandmother’s lovable toughness. With the 2018 vintage, Stéphanie entrusted Paul with a parcel of the estate’s oldest vines: Grenache, a portion of which is ungrafted, planted on sand just across the street from the winery itself in the first years of the 20th century. Inspired by sand-grown-Grenache exemplars like the mythical Château Rayas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Paul aimed to craft a wine that showcased Grenache’s finesse rather than its amplitude. After a natural fermentation without de-stemming—always the Gour de Chaulé modus operandi—he raised a portion of the harvest in used barrique, a portion in 600-liter cask, and a portion in a nine-hectoliter cement egg, comparing the results throughout the élévage. Cement won handily, and so Paul bottled the contents of the egg without any added sulfur under the name “La Numéro Huit” - eight being his favorite number. 
Only 1200 bottles of the 2018 “La Numéro Huit” were made, and it is a stunning achievement that speaks to Grenache’s ability to convey remarkable nuance when treated with respect.