Jean Baptiste was born in Avignon in 1964, the son of Genevieve and Laurent Meunier and heir to four generations of winemaking tradition and experience in Gigondas. After studying oenology and viticulture at Carcasonne, he worked at Diamond Creek vineyard in Napa Valley, California, where he was exposed to the best of New World winemaking technology. On returning to France, Jean Baptiste worked for vineyards in Chateauneuf du Pape as well as Gigondas to gain further experience of Rhone wines before taking over at Moulin de la Gardette in 1988.

Now, in his early forties, Jean Baptiste is respected as one of the most talented Gigondas winemakers of his generation. He is experienced and respects traditional values, but also benefits from a sound knowledge of the best of modern techniques. His approach is careful, visionary, sympathetic to nature and the environment, gentle and understanding of tradition but brave enough and capable enough to experiment and innovate.

J B's wine making decisions are guided by taste at every step, enabling him to make wines of rich complexity and character, exploiting to the full the combination of unique Gigondas terroir and the generous southern Rhone climate.

Jean Baptiste getting some early tuition in vine planting from his father Laurent Meunier. (No, not John Wayne!) >