The Movement · Bordeaux red
Gigue2018
Released only in its drinking phase — ready for the table.
Arriving
Like an early evening beneath old olive trees.
Powerful and rich in tannin, kept in motion by lively fruit.
Quick, full of verve and with strength in every step – that is how a gigue sounds, and how this wine tastes.
The year 2018 offered winegrowers in Bordeaux little respite due to the sometimes exceptional weather conditions. Fortunately, the weather from mid-July to the end of September was particularly favorable for the ripening of the grapes and maintaining perfect health throughout the vineyard.
- Grape varieties
- 96% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec
- Limitation
- 12489
- Ageing
- Concrete tank, small share of barrique
- Yield
- 45 hl/ha
- Analysis
- 14.0 % vol · pH 3.69
- Drinking window
- 2026 – 2039
- Serving temperature
- 15–16 °C
- Decanting
- Not necessary
Evening beneath the olive trees
The first glass
The flavour profile of Gigue 2018
Dense cherry and dark berry fruit, violet, a hint of white pepper. The hot 2018 vintage gives it concentration and powerful, still youthful tannins — powerful and almost weighty, yet kept in motion by its lively fruit. Aged in concrete tank with a small share of barrique, it stays clear and fresh. To open now with energy — or to lay down for a few years.
- Dense cherry
- Dark berry
- Violet
- White pepper
- Youthful tannin
Gigue smells of juicy cherry and violet, with a hint of white pepper. Gigue 2018 matured in concrete vats, with only a small share in barrique, which keeps the fruit clear. On the palate it is powerful and rich in tannin, almost heavy, and yet it stays nimble because the fruit carries it. A red for the table, at 15–16 °C.
Why Gigue
A quick dance with weight.
A suite is a sequence of dances. Each has its own character, and only all together do they make the whole. That is how our estate is built: each cuvée is inspired by a movement of this suite and takes on the character of its form.The gigue is the quick, lively dance of the suite. In the classical suite it comes last; with us, it opens the reds. That is why this wine has power and tannin, and why its fruit sets it in motion. Dancing rather than marching, for Gigue, means energy despite weight.
Gigue is energy with weight: powerful, rich in tannin and kept in motion by its fruit.
Robert Schumann — Gigue, Op. 32
In concrete · In the Domaine's cellar
Eight years of rest in the cellar before it left the estate in 2026.
Aged in our own cellar.
Matured in the Domaine's cellar: in concrete vats up to the 2020 vintage, in amphorae since 2021, often with a small share in barrique. Then bottle ageing until we consider the wine ready to drink.
Maturity — how it drinks today
At the start of its drinking window
Optimal drinking window of Gigue 2018
2026 – 2039
Serving temperature 15–16 °C.
Our principles
Why we take the trouble
Ageing in our own cellar
Most of our wines go on sale only once they are ready to drink; until then they mature with us, and we carry the risk.
Composed plot by plot
Each plot is vinified separately; only at the end do we compose the cuvée from them.
Time as an ingredient
Depth takes time. We give the wines the years in barrel and bottle that they need.
Organic & HVE4
The Domaine's vineyards are certified organic and HVE4, set within a 19-hectare ecosystem of woodland, meadows, water and vines.
The terroir and the wine it yields
Where it comes from
The parcel map
Click on a parcel number to find out more about it.Tap a parcel number to find out more about it.
- ClayCool and water-holding: depth, structure, a long life.
- Clay-gravelWhere two worlds meet: strength with finesse.
- GravelWarm and draining: energy, precision, lift.
- SandLight and open: freshness and a free hand.
The blend of Gigue 2018
3 Grape varieties
- 96%Merlot
- 2%Cabernet Franc
- 2%Malbec
Each plot is vinified separately; only at the end does the cuvée come together. More about our terroirs.
Precision & method
In the tradition of modern oenology
Aux Conseillans was for decades the Domaine of Jean Ribéreau-Gayon — one of the co-founders of modern oenology, founder of the Institute of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux (1949) and long-time owner of the estate. We work in that tradition: each plot analysed and vinified separately, the ageing guided under control, drinking maturity checked in a blind tasting.
When the embers settle
Into a large glass at 15–16 °C, and a little time: that is how Gigue opens up to cherry, violet and white pepper.
Your evening
A wine for the table.
Dishes to pair
A selection from our recipe kitchen, matched to the structure and maturity of this wine.
Bistecca alla fiorentina – T-bone from the fire
Bœuf Bordelais – slow braised with gigue
Brasato di Silvio al Gigue – beef pot roast
Bucatini all'amatriciana
Carne de porco à alentejana, pork & clams
Confit de canard – beluga lentils & shallots
Grilled veal chop, sauce tonnata & capers
Foie de veau lyonnaise, sweet sherry glaze
The mood to match the wine
A playlist for the moment
If you are a friend of classical music, here is a playlist that may suit your evening and the character of this wine. One possibility among many; listen in, if you like.
For your cellar
Available formats
Gigue 2018, Edition 12489 bottles. Shipped directly from the estate — climate-controlled storage in our own cellar.
To get acquainted
The Coffret Dégustation
Three movements of the Suite in one case — Sarabande 2015, Gigue 2016 and Louré 2024. €100 incl. shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions · Gigue 2018
Good to know
When should I drink Gigue 2018?
Released in 2026, at the start of its drinking window, which runs until 2039. With its youthful energy it can be opened now, or laid down for a few more years. Both are right.
Do I need to decant it?
Not necessary: fruit and tannin are expressive straight away, and long aeration would rather mask the young fruit. Serve at 15–16 °C.
Why do you sell it while it is still young?
Anyone looking for its young energy opens it now with hearty food; anyone looking for a calmer companion lays it down for a few more years.
What does it go with?
Young, with hearty grilled food: a tomahawk steak from the grill or a ragù alla bolognese with youthful spice. It also carries hearty braises with ease.
Which grape varieties is it made from?
96% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec – almost a pure Merlot, from the clay of plot C7, the gravel of C13 and the clay-gravel of C12.
Is Gigue a light wine?
No. It is powerful and rich in tannin, almost heavy, and particularly concentrated thanks to the hot 2018 vintage. What keeps it nimble is its lively fruit.
How does Gigue 2018 differ from Gigue 2016?
The same cuvée, a different vintage. Gigue 2016 drinks harmoniously and with maturity; Gigue 2018 is younger, more concentrated and more powerful. Equal vintages, different moments.
How should I store it at home?
Cool (around 12–14 °C), dark and lying down. It will develop over the years, until around 2039. Bring it to 15–16 °C before serving.
Is the wine organic?
The Domaine is certified organic and HVE4 today. Gigue 2018 was made in a close-to-nature way but does not yet carry the official organic label: our wines may only bear it from the 2022 vintage onwards.
Technical data sheet · Gigue 2018
| Wine | Gigue 2018 |
|---|---|
| Estate | LaSuite aux Conseillans |
| Origin | Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France |
| Type | red wine |
| Appellation | AOC Cadillac |
| Grape varieties | 96% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec |
| Plots and soils | predominantly gravel, with clay |
| Yield | 45 hl/ha |
| Ageing | Concrete tank, small share of barrique; then bottle ageing in our own cellar |
| Released | 2026 |
| Analysis | 14.0 % vol · pH 3.69 |
| Edition | 12489 bottles |
| Drinking window | 2026 – 2039 |
| Serving temperature | 15–16 °C |
| Decanting | Not necessary |
| Aromas | Dense cherry, Dark berry, Violet, White pepper, Youthful tannin |
| Viticulture | Domaine now organic- and HVE4-certified; this vintage was made naturally, before official organic certification. |
| Formats | 0.75 L (£26) |
| Place in the Suite | Opens the reds of the Suite; “The Movement” |
| Musical reference | Robert Schumann — Gigue, Op. 32 |
| Item number | LS-GIGU-18-075 |
The vintages
Gigue through the years
Every vintage plays the same movement, each in its own key. The bar shows when a vintage opens and how long it carries; the line marks today.
-
2014
Library
The earliest vintage in the series, matured in concrete.
Drinking window 2018 – 2030In the library -
2015
Library
Matured in concrete, with a small share in barrique; now in the library.
Drinking window 2021 – 2032In the library -
2016
Ready to drink
A wet spring, a dry summer and even ripening; harmonious in the glass today.
Drinking window 2024 – 2035View vintage - 2018 Ready to drink
A difficult early summer, then a warm late summer: almost pure Merlot, with great concentration.
Drinking window 2026 – 2039This vintage -
2019
Maturing in the cellar
A dry year with 41 degrees in July and a harvest free of rot pressure.
Drinking window 2029 – 2039View in the cellar -
2020
Maturing in the cellar
54 days without rain in summer: small berries and dense colour.
Drinking window 2027 – 2039View in the cellar -
2021
Maturing in the cellar
Frost in April, a cool summer and the first vintage from amphora.
Drinking window 2027 – 2035View in the cellar - 2022 Maturing in the cellarDrinking window 2030 – 2040View in the cellar
- 2023 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
- 2024 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
- 2025 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
- 2026 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
The repertoire
The other movements of the Suite
Each cuvée has its own voice, from the rosé to the red that needs decades. In weak years we skip one entirely; that is why the repertoire is rarely complete.
We release each wine only when we would most like to drink it ourselves.Marc & Ellen Ruhland
For us, time is an ingredient.