2009 Gigondas Les Hautes Garriges

(80% grenache and 20% mourvedre): Deep ruby. Sexy blackberry and blackberry scents verge on liqueur-like, with bright mineral and spice notes providing energy. Lush, creamy and smooth, with densely packed dark berry flavors lifted by a spicy nuance. Supple tannins add shape to the very long, sweet, clinging finish. Incidentally, the 2006 version of this wine is drinking wonderfully, based on a bottle that I tried in New York in December. It is just hitting its plateau of maturity and will provide great pleasure for at least the next few years.

Quite possibly the wine of the vintage, the brilliant 2009 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 3% Syrah, and 2% Cinsault that’s aged for 2 years in a combination of French oak barrels and foudre. Sporting an inky red/blood color to go with thrilling aromas charred earth, garrigue, licorice, and smoked meat, as well as beautifully ripe dark fruit, this full-bodied, seriously concentrated Gigondas has a layered, textured mid-palate, fantastic freshness, and a structured, age-worthy core. Give bottles 3-5 years in the cellar, and then drink over the following 15 years.