2019 Gigondas Le Poste

Lastly, and a perfect wine, the 2019 Gigondas Le Poste comes from a tiny vineyard located just across the street from the domaine, and as with all these single vineyard releases, it’s 100% Grenache, not destemmed, and aged in mostly used Burgundy barrels. Louis compares the vintage to 1998, and I can’t disagree with him, as the wines are powerful yet structured. Incredible notes of cassis, currants, scorched earth, and wildflowers all show on the nose, and it’s full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and an incredible finish. It’s as good as anything out there. Hats off to the genius of Louis Barruol, and readers should snag as much of this as they can. It will ideally be given 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades.

100% Grenache. Organic. Aged in oak (20% new, 50% second use and 30% third use). Cask sample. Tasted blind. Dried herbs on the nose, the palate shows some stalkiness and very firm tannins. Weighty palate and a long, clean, pure finish. Dense and powerful with mulberry and dense fruit and has a notable minerality. (AC)