Sunday, August 16, 2009

2005 "Nectar du Terroir" GIGONDAS (Rhone, France)


Gigondas can be one of the tougher Rhone wines to love. It's a higher altitude, cooler appellation than the other Southern Rhone villages that have their own appellation (e.g., Chateauneuf, Beaumes-de-Venise). So the wines can be a bit leaner, less overtly fruity, and more on the austere, minerally side. But when they're on, they're really good dinner wines.

This one was really good, and produced not by a private estate, but by a co-op no less.

Dark black ruby. Intensely garrigue-y nose -- lots of dry, minerally, gravel & herb scents, but in equal measure with nicely focused, spicy raspberry fruit. Lively, concentrated, and with Gigondas's typical sense of structure. Loads of minerals, iodine-y notes, and concentrated dry black cherry fruit. Lots of tannin, but it's more of the soft, rather than coarse variety. Long, lean finish. 88. Was $19.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.
Imported by Fruit Of The Vine, NYC, NY.

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