2012 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles

Bright purple. A highly aromatic bouquet evokes spicy black raspberry and cherry scents, along with hints of garrigue and spicecake. Stains the palate with sweet red fruit and floral flavors, picking up a stony element with air. Shows hints of darker fruits on the strikingly persistent finish, which is framed by smooth, slow-building tannins.

Another prodigious Gigondas who’s only problem is that there’s not enough of it, the 2012 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles (95% Grenache and 5% Syrah) comes from a vineyard just outside of the village. Slightly darker in character than the Vieilles Vignes, it boasts awesome aromatics of cassis, toasted spice, licorice, ground herbs and massive minerality. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated Gigondas that has beautiful tannin structure, notable freshness and building richness that comes through on the finish. Rich and textured, as well as elegant, it’s a rock-star 2012 that will have two decades of longevity.

Sweet oak spice, ripe fruit, smells almost New World in its bright fruit profile. Oak quite dominant on the palate and seems a little overdone given the relative lightness on the mid palate. A bit hollow. (JH)