2014 Gigondas

Starting off the 2014s, the 2014 Gigondas Classique is a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and the rest Syrah and a tiny splash of Cinsault. It’s a medium-bodied, balanced and impressive effort that offers terrific notes of ripe red and black fruits, olive tapenade and pepper. It’s well worth buying and will keep through 2024.

Brilliant ruby. Smoky cherry, boysenberry and potpourri scents show very good clarity and pick up a spicy quality with aeration. Intense red and blue fruit flavors are complicated by a floral pastille nuance. Finishes on a gently tannic note, delivering very good energy and spicy thrust. All of the Valbelle fruit was included in this bottling in 2014.

Checking in as a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 15% Syrah, the 2014 Gigondas is a rock solid effort in a difficult vintage. Offering the classic graphite, camphor, mineral and darker fruit that's the hallmark of this estate, it's medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated and has a tight, backwards, age-worthy feel. Give bottles 3-4 years of cellaring and drink through 2029.