(80% grenache and 20% mourvedre): Dark ruby. Red fruit confit, violet and black pepper on the fragrant nose. Juicy and expansive on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering tangy cherry and raspberry flavors lifted by zesty acidity. Finishes with solid punch and very good persistence; there seems to be a lot of material in reserve here.
Vivid ruby. Perfumed, spicy nose melds raspberry, black pepper and licorice. Silky in texture and fine-grained, with wound-up red berry flavors supported by dusty but sweet tannins that build on the nervy finish. Fresh and admirably elegant but slow to reveal itself right now. (Both of my barrel samples of the 2009 Gigondas La Louisiane showed signs of oxidation, so I'll wait until the wine is bottled to review it.)
