2018 Gigondas Les Racines

Slightly deeper and richer, with a more backward style, the 2018 Gigondas Les Racines reveals a deeper ruby/plum color as well as terrific notes of ripe black cherries, roasted garrigue, scorched earth, and ground pepper. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated, with plenty of underlying structure, it’s a terrific 2018 that’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and drink brilliantly over the following decade or more.

The precise blend for this cuvée hadn't been finalized at the time of my visit, so the sample I tasted of 2018 Gigondas Les Racines was an approximation put together by the team at the estate. Marked by accents of blood orange and citrus zest, the raspberry fruit at the core of this wine is concentrated and ripe. Full-bodied and rich, yet silky, fine and elegant, it's a classic representation of this microclimate and its 75-year-old Grenache vines.

From very old vines (70-100 years old). There is a strong, red-fruit focus here with a sappy and very plush feel to the palate. Succulent, fleshy and mellow and a very suave, open-knit and ripe-grenache finish. A blend of 85% grenache and 15% cinsault and syrah co-planted. Drink over the first decade.