Gigue 2018
THE MOVEMENT

Gigue

2018
Bordeaux red wine

Released only when ready to drink — ready for the table.

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Lively, energetic and dance-like. A wine that brings joy without being banal.

The Gigue typically concludes a suite – lively and uplifting. In our collection, the Gigue opens the selection of great red wines.

The Gigue presents itself with juicy cherry fruit, violets, and a hint of white pepper. Minimal oak aging preserves its freshness and approachability; polished yet noticeable tannins typically make it ready to drink several years earlier than the Sarabande.

In its younger years, it is the perfect accompaniment to a summer BBQ or a good ragù alla bolognesa, while when it has matured somewhat, it also goes wonderfully with a beautiful duck with honey glaze.

A red wine that prefers to dance rather than march.

Grape varieties
96% Merlot
Limited edition
12489
Ageing
Concrete tank, small share of
Analysis
14.0 % vol · pH 3.69
Serving temperature
16–18 °C
Decanting
Not necessary
Drinking window
2027 – 2039

0.75 L bottle · £26.00

Gigue 2018
Flasche Gigue Bordeaux 2018 mit roter Kapsel unter einer hellen Pergola mit Grillgericht und Weinbergblick.
Gigue 2018
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Why Gigue

The Gigue typically concludes a suite – lively and uplifting. In our collection, the Gigue opens the selection of great red wines. The Gigue...

The Gigue stands for deliberate approachability – a wine that allows energy without forgoing order and origin.

Robert Schumann — Gigue, Op. 32

Time
Acht Jahrein the cellar before the first bottle leaves the estate.
2018 → 2026
In the glass

The flavour profile

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
Fruit Balance Sweetness Body Tannin Oak Spice Complexity Minerality Acidity
Maturity — how it drinks today

Acht Jahre gereift

today Cellar ageing Ascent Plateau Decline 2018 2039 2047

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.

Optimal drinking window

2027 – 2039

Decant before serving and pour at serving temperature.

The terroir and the wine it yields
The terroir and the wine it yields

Where it comes from

The Gigue draws on three plots and three soils. On the clay of plot C7 the Merlot takes root, carrying the fruit; the gravel of plot C13 — up to four fifths stone at depth — gives warmth, drainage and energy; and the clay-gravel of plot C12 brings the tension with Cabernet Sauvignon. This is how the Gigue stays juicy and supple while having a foundation that holds the fruit.

Which plots go into the blend is decided by the vintage; the assignment can therefore vary slightly from harvest to harvest.

The assemblage

3 Grape varieties, a layering

96%Merlot
2%Cabernet Franc
2%Malbec

Each plot is vinified separately; only at the end does the cuvée emerge. More about our terroirs.

Aged in the chai
Aged in the chai

Aged in our own cellar.

Aged under control in barrel and vinified plot by plot — then the years of bottle rest in our own cellar, until we consider the wine ready to drink.

Cellar & Craft →
Precision & method
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 longtime owner of the estate. We work in this tradition: each plot analysed and vinified separately, the ageing guided under control, the release only after proven readiness to drink.

The oenologists' legacy ›
Our stance

Why we take the trouble

01

Released only when ready to drink

We bring a vintage to market only when it is ready to drink. We carry the ageing risk.

02

Composed plot by plot

Each plot is vinified separately; only at the end do we compose the cuvée from them.

03

Time as an ingredient

Depth needs time. We give the wines the years in barrel and bottle that they need.

04

Organic & HVE 4

Certified organic, embedded in a 19-hectare ecosystem of woodland, meadows, water and vines.

At the table
At the table

A wine for the table.

A wine for convivial evenings with friends, which is uncomplicatedly enjoyable thanks to its smooth character and perfect ripeness.

Recipes

Dishes that pair well

A selection from our recipe kitchen, matched to the structure and maturity of this wine.

Basse côte from the grill – pepper-herb crust & grilled bone marrow
Basse côte from the grill – pepper-herb crust & grilled bone marrow
Grilled bavette – sauce bordelaise & shallot confit
Grilled bavette – sauce bordelaise & shallot confit
Braised mountain lentils – root vegetables & sherry
Braised mountain lentils – root vegetables & sherry
Bistecca alla fiorentina – T-bone from the fire
Bistecca alla fiorentina – T-bone from the fire
Bœuf Bordelais – slow braised with gigue
Bœuf Bordelais – slow braised with gigue
Bœuf en croûte, mushroom duxelles
Bœuf en croûte, mushroom duxelles
All recipes →
The mood for the wine

A playlist for the moment

This wine comes with a mood playlist on Spotify — a flowing companion as you drink. Listen in if you like; it isn't necessary.

Sound of Gigue
Listen on Spotify
We release each wine only when we most like to drink it ourselves.
Marc & Ellen Ruhland
Frequently asked questions

Good to know

When should I drink the Gigue 2018?
Released in 2026; its optimal drinking window runs from 2027 to 2039. With its energy it can be opened young, now — or laid down for a few years. Both ways are right.
Do I need to decant it?
Not necessary — the fruit and tannin are immediately expressive; lengthy aeration would rather veil the young fruit. Serve at 16–18 °C.
Why do you sell it while it is still young?
An honest position: those who seek the young energy open it now with hearty food; those who want the quiet companion lay it down for a few more years.
What does it pair with?
Young, with hearty grills: BBQ, tomahawk steak, 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 single-varietal wine, from the Gigue terroir: clay of plot C7, gravel of C13, clay-gravel of C12.
Is the Gigue a light wine?
No. It is powerful and tannic, almost weighty — and, thanks to the hot 2018 vintage, especially concentrated. What keeps it supple is its lively fruit.
How does it differ from the 2016?
The same cuvée, a different vintage. 2016 drinks harmoniously and matured; 2018 is younger, more concentrated and more powerful. Equal editions, different moments.
How do I store it at home?
Cool (around 12–14 °C), dark and lying down. It develops over the years until around 2039. Bring to 16–18 °C before serving.
Is the wine organic?
Yes. The estate is certified organic and holds HVE 4, the highest level of the French environmental certification.
The Coffret Dégustation
To get acquainted

The Coffret Dégustation

Three movements of the Suite in one box — Sarabande 2015, Gigue 2016 and Louré 2024. A first path through our wines.

100 € incl. shipping
To the Coffret →
Gigue 2018
Gigue 2018
0.75 L bottle · £26.00

Edition of 12489 bottles. Shipped directly from the Château — climate-controlled storage in our own cellar.

Available formats

Le Cercle members see their conditions here.

For us, time is an ingredient.
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