2015 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes

Brilliant ruby-red. Explosive, spice-tinged aromas of boysenberry, cherry liqueur and pungent flowers are complemented by a hint of smoky minerals that builds with air. Sappy and alluringly sweet, offering plush red and blue fruit flavors and a suave floral pastille flourish. Smooth tannins sneak in late on the impressively long, focused finish, which leaves behind lavender and star anise notes.

A second taste since the first sample I tasted, in November, seemed under par. 85% Grenache (80 to over 100 years old), 10% Syrah (80 to over 100 years old), 5% Mourvèdre (80 to over 100 years old). From the Dentelles, Boussière, Garrigues and Teysonnières. Two-thirds whole bunch. Aged in one-year-old barrels. Dark crimson. Particularly savoury (as opposed to sweet and ripe) on the nose. Much drier overall than more typical Gigondases. Very much made for the long term, and for food. There still seems to be a slight lack of flesh here – and overall it seems less obviously ripe than the first sample. But it's not tired – extremely energetic in fact. (JR)

85% Grenache (80 to over 100 years old), 10% Syrah (80 to over 100 years old), 5% Mourvèdre (80 to over 100 years old). From the Dentelles, Boussière, Garrigues and Teysonnières. Two-thirds whole bunch. Aged in one-year-old barrels. Dark purplish crimson. This sample smelt just a little tired unfortunately. There is massive ripeness here and almost animal savour. A little saltiness. This particular sample didn’t quite hang together and seemed a tad scrawny on the end but I can quite believe this was down to the condition of the sample rather than the intrinsic worth of the wine. (JR)