A great wine from Gigondas will rival those of its neighbor Châteauneuf du Pape and the wines produced under the skillful hands of Joël Saurel often do just that. Saurel works very hard in the vineyard, restricting his yields and always harvesting his vines at their maximum ripeness. Saurel doesn’t fine or filter his Gigondas and the massive amount of ripe black fruit flavors found in his wine is always tempered by a profoundly complex expression of the terror. Saurel’s vineyard site sits in a “hot corner” of the Gigondas AOC—the area possesses great exposure, is littered with galets (pudding stones) like those found in Châteauneuf du Pape. Some of the oldest vines of the appellation are in this area and Joël Saurel owns many, many rows of vines that are well over 100 years old. Largely Grenache (over 90%), traditional vinification (no pigeage or new oak here!) and bottling without fining or filtering, result in full-bodied, complex classic Gigondas. This is the real deal from a great vintage!

The nose carries an array of ripe black fruit, cherry, warm cassis and orange peel scents that are backed by profound inflections of smoked ham, animal fur, sizzling bacon fat, crushed violets, and a dusting of dried Provençal herbs that beautifully accent the aromas of sun-baked stones. Displaying abundant flavors of black cherry, creamy cassis, wild blackberry, plum, candied violet and blood orange carried along with a note of bramble, this is a vibrant expression of the Southern Rhône from a great vintage! The tannins on the finish are super fine and precisely melded to moderate acidity. This Gigondas is drinking beautifully now and it will age gracefully for another ten years. Serve with herb-encrusted roast chicken, grilled squab, wild boar sausages, leg of lamb or hearty beef dishes.

—Donald