2012 Cotes du Roussillon les Calcinares

Tasted in a form sufficiently close to its final assemblage, the Gauby 2012 Cotes du Roussillon Blanc Les Calcinaire – as usual, uniting Chardonnay, Macabeu, Grenache Gris, Muscat, and Vermentino; grown on galets roules; pressed whole-cluster; and vinified largely in tank – delivers zesty grapefruit and lime with under-ripe yellow plum on an expansive and lushly-textured yet bright palate. Orange blossom and honeysuckle waft throughout, while a stony cantus firmus puts a floor under and thereby helps broadcast the appeal of fruit and flower. Nutty, resinous suggestions of pine nut add appeal to a lingering, at once both soothing and refreshingly stimulating finish. Expect this to delight through at least 2016. Gerard and Lionel Gauby – for much more about whose vineyards, labors, and stylistic evolution see my accounts in issues 183 and 195 – are demonstrating with their recent expansion of single-vineyard bottlings, results entirely consistent with the superb quality for which they have already become known. “From April on, we had no rain,” testifies Gerard of vintage 2012, “but also no ill-effects from hydric- or heat-stress” – other than a significant diminution of what are already an estate norm of low yields – thanks, he avers, to a now long-standing, biodynamic deep root-promoting viticultural regimen. I tasted only selectively components for 2012 Gauby reds from barrel, cask and tank last spring, but they were collectively stunning, featuring heady floral perfumes, amazingly silken textures for their youth, and a sense of levity (weighing-in –at least for the most part – under 13% alcohol) entirely consistent with density as well as depth. One need not take the Gaubys’ word that phenolic maturity was achieved early, as this is evident in the wines’ combination of ripe flavors with moderate alcohol. The 2010s here have turned out impressively and the best of them – as I forecasted in issue 195 – full of intrigue. Yet, the amazing thing is that the more generous 2011s right now upstage most of the 2010s in white as well as red, including in terms of dynamic complexity and the presence of mineral dimensions, a scenario I would never have entertained based on what I knew of these Roussillon vintages in general as opposed to what I found in the glass at this address. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

The only 2012 I was able to taste, the 2012 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Les Calcinaire is mostly Syrah and Mourvedre, with smaller portions of Carignan and Grenache. Lively and fresh, with a bright, medium-bodied, lightly textured feel, it offers loads of juicy berry fruit, resinous herbs, violets and hints of saddle leather that continue to gain in richness with time in the glass. There’s some background meatiness and wildness here, yet it’s managed beautifully and the overall impression here is one of pretty, lively fruit and juicy acidity. Enjoy bottles over the coming 4-5 years. Apr 2014, www.robertparker.com