2006 Gigondas Le Poste

The same blend/elevage, the 2006 Cotes du Rhone Le Poste Blanc is a beauty. Possessing more richness and texture due to its age, yet still beautifully lively and fresh, it offers ample lemon curd, honeysuckle, creme and clean minerality in its classy, balanced profile. At this point, it needs food to really shine, but I love its mix of freshness and richness. The leading producer in Gigondas, Saint Cosme has been run by the passionate and talented Louis Barruol since 1992, when he took over from his parents. Today, he produces four single-vineyard releases (the Hominis Fides and Valbelle come from essentially the same plot) and a classic Gigondas. All four of the single-vineyard releases (Valbelle, Le Claux, Hominis Fides and Le Poste) are almost all Grenache (the Valbelle incorporates 10% Syrah) and are aged in 30% new Burgundy barrels, with the balance consisting of 1-, 2- and 3-year-old barrels. The Valbelle was first made in 1993, the Hominis Fides in 2003, and both the Le Poste and Le Claux were first introduced in 2006. The Valbelle and Hominis Fides both come from sand and limestone-driven soils and a plot of vines located just down the street from the domaine, on the north side of the La Payouse Street, which leads into the Village of Gigondas. The Le Claux lies on the other side of the street and consists of vines planted before 1914 and more clay, gravel and limestone-driven soils, without the sand component that’s found in the Hominis Fides. Lastly, the Le Poste comes from a terraced vineyard (there are four terraces, one planted all to white varieties), just up the hill from the domaine that was replanted in 1963 by Louis father, Henri Barruol. The soils are mostly limestone and yellow marl, and this cuvee is always the most elegant and feminine in style. All three of these vineyards are within a 5 minute walk of each other. While these cuvees can be frightfully tannic on release, they round into form with a handful of years in the cellar, and age beautifully. Looking at his classic Gigondas, it’s all from estate fruit and is a rough blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the balance Cinsault. Aging here is a combination of tank and older barrels. Looking specifically at this tasting, the idea was to taste through a broad sample set to get a better understanding of how these cuvees evolve. While any day you get to taste in Barruol’s cellar is a good one, I was thrilled to see how well his wines had held up over the years. In short, these are some of the finest Gigondas that money can buy. Starting off with two whites, Barruol makes one barrel from his Le Poste Vineyard, which has one of its four terraces planted to Clairette. He first produced the cuvee in 1992, and because no whites are allowed from Gigondas, it’s labeled as a Cotes du Rhone. Moving to the reds, and starting with the 2007s, this is easily one of the greatest lineups of Gigondas I’ve ever tasted. It also shows how special this vintage was throughout the entire Southern Rhone. Moving to the 2006s, these are big, rich and classically-styled efforts that scream Gigondas. Importer: Country Vintners, Ashland, VA; tel. (804) 752-3670

(from a yield of only 15 hectoliters per hectare, according to Barruol) Bright ruby. Impressively energetic aromas of dark berry preserves, smoked meat and minerals, complicated by anise and cracked pepper. Brighter red fruits join the dark berries on the palate, which is strikingly expressive and gently sweet. The minerals linger on the tangy, focused, very long finish. This deserves patience.

Ruby-red. Seductive cherry and blackcurrant aromas are complicated by spicy licorice and Asian spices. Deep and sweet, with silky red fruit flavors and a slow-building bitter chocolate quality adding firmness. Much more serious than the preceding wines-in fact, this may be the only 2006 Gigondas here that will really demand patience. There are just four barriques of this juice, and the vine yield was reportedly just 15 hl/ha.