2001 Gigondas

Readers looking for an incredible, fully mature Gigondas should seek out the 2001 Gigondas from Yves Gras. Up with the 2007 and 2010 vintages, it offers a complex, nuanced and mature bouquet of olives, garrigue, gamy meats and ripe fruit to go with a medium to full-bodied, silky and elegant profile on the palate. Even at age 15, it still has notable tannin, yet the mid-palate is full and concentrated; it has a beautiful texture and impeccable balance, all pointing to it continuing to evolve gracefully. If you have bottles in the cellar, it's a true treat to drink, yet it will certainly be one of the longer lived Gigondas out there.

Red-ruby. Roasted fruits, spicecake, leather and licorice on the nose. Superconcentrated, sappy and sweet, with a glyceral texture and terrific verve. This has an impressively powerful core of fruit. Explosive back end features superripe but fresh flavor and big but sweet tannins. Very strong Gigondas.

Readers looking for an incredible, fully mature Gigondas should seek out the 2001 Gigondas from Yves Gras. Up with the 2007 and 2010 vintages, it offers a complex, nuanced and mature bouquet of olives, garrigue, gamy meats and ripe fruit to go with a medium to full-bodied, silky and elegant profile on the palate. Even at age 15, it still has notable tannin, yet the mid-palate is full and concentrated; it has a beautiful texture and impeccable balance, all pointing to it continuing to evolve gracefully. If you have bottles in the cellar, it's a true treat to drink, yet it will certainly be one of the longer lived Gigondas out there. Oct 2016, www.robertparker.com