2020 Gigondas .7 Le Gour

Shimmering ruby-red. Intensely perfumed, spice-accented suggestions of red berries, incense, garrigue and potpourri on the lively, mineral-driven nose, show superb detail. Juicy, penetrating raspberry liqueur, bitter cherry and candied lavender flavors show outstanding clarity and vivacity, with hints of spicy white pepper and smoky minerals adding vibrant back-end cut. Exotic spice nuances build through a gently chewy, tightly focused finish that's given shape by polished, even tannins. Made with 100% whole clusters and raised in a concrete, Nomblot egg. Unfortunately, only 3,000 bottles of this wine were made, compared to 35,000 of the Tradition, which, from 2020, is a mere step behind, in my estimation.