Paul Jaboulet Aine, Gigondas, Pierre Aiguille

This wine was amazing. Super smooth served w a lamb shank it was an incredible food and wine match.

Waited about 4 years too long on this one - still, better than cooking wine. Perhaps call Dominos.

at first it was a little unforgiving and uncompromising. the obvious conclusion was that it was simply too young. this opinion was confirmed when it opened up after an hour or so. eventually, it's brash acidic and tannic nature receded and the savoury and meaty tones took control. it was never awesome, but it did please eventually. i'd advise holding for another couple of years if you like mature wines. if you're looking for fruit bombs you are too late.

Attractive dark ruby colour, cooked plums on the nose, bit of an alcoholic burn on the nose. Nice fruit flavours, heavy but pleasant tannins, red, forest fruits medium length. Decent.

Dark ruby red, nose opens with a bit of air, very attractive dark fruits, little nose burn astringency. Given time opens up beautifully, mediums weight, heavy tannins, but lovely mouthful of fruit.

Leather and olives. Wonderfully soft and approachable with nice seciondary flavours.

Ruby red with no fading. Very tight on opening, light bodied and astringent with simple cherry and wood notes on nose and palate and a little tobacco and spice on the finish. Fills out substantially with air, gaining body, dark fruit flavours and considerable tannic weight. Have to conclude that this is still way too young.

Long clean cork. Initial nose of meat, leather, olives. Grew richer with time. Taste and feel of rare meat, blood. Rich and clear. A small remainder tasted just as rich the following evening. Accompanied braised lamb shanks and a feta/spinach salad.

Surprisingly young looking. Has lost some colour in general but only sligthly brown rim starting to appear. The bouquet offers loads of leather, thyme, black olives and prunes. On the palate - after an hour of air in a decanter - the wine seems to tighten up and gain weight, structure and concentration. Again the black olives are very present along with the prunes, more secondary flavours mixing in. Quite a nice surprise as I expected this to be long …

I kept this wine too long. It was pleasant enough to drink, but it should have been consumed a long time ago. Mature soft rhone aromas and flavours did nothing for me, but we did have spicy food. Unlike the CrozeH, the gigondas is a much softer, far less interesting product. I think it is the little village to the CDP in the same whay that CH is the little village to Hermitage.

NYC Group goes Rhonish (NYC) : Game, earth, barnyard, cassis, licorice. Complex and balanced. This wine has it all. Ready to drink, yet will hold.