The bay leaf, alder and tobacco notes are well-defined, with a core of steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit sitting in reserve. Offers lots of briary grip and a long singed iron edge on the finish. Best from 2015 through 2025. – JM

Moving to the Gigondas cuvees, starting with the wines in bottle, the classic 2011 Gigondas is a serious effort that gets you a good bit of the class and richness found in the upper, single vineyard cuvees, yet for a lot less buck. A blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah, it gives up toasty, spice-driven notes of blackberries, ground pepper and cured meats that flow to a medium to full-bodied, textured and layered effort that has notable freshness and sweet tannin. It will shine for over a decade and represents an excellent value. - Jeb Dunnuck