2012 Gigondas Aux Lieux Dits

75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault. Herby red fruit and a touch meaty. Dry and meaty on the palate. Needs food but has very good balance between freshness and depth of flavour. Tannins are fine but not yet unfurled. (JH)

Opaque ruby. Ripe red and dark berry aromas are accented by a suggestion of white pepper. Supple and expansive on the palate, offering sweet blackberry and licorice pastille flavors and a hint of smokiness. Tightens up a bit on the finish, which features fine-grained tannins and a late blast of sappy dark fruit.

A foudre-aged blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre and Cinsault, the 2012 Gigondas Aux Lieux Dits sports a semi-transparent ruby color to go with a terrific bouquet of sweet raspberries, flowers, incense and pepper. This is followed by a medium-bodied, lightly textured and mid-weight Gigondas that excels on its purity, balance and finesse more so than richness or power. As with a lot of Yves's 2012s, the acidity is surprisingly high, and I wouldn't push the aging curve too much.