| 2008-03-03 15:34 |
IWC: By Josh Raynolds
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Issue #136, January/February 2008)
(Domaine Les Pallieres Gigondas) ($30) Deep red. Precise aromas of strawberry, raspberry, lavender and minerals seem almost pinot-like in their clarity and delicacy. Lacy red fruit flavors pack plenty of punch but come off almost weightless. Gains weight and power on the long, juicy finish. Really lovely stuff. (Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA) 92 points |
| 2008-03-03 15:34 |
WA: The 2005 Les Pallieres Gigondas has a slightly darker ruby/purple color than the 2004. Moreover, it also has a big, sweet nose of cherry fruit intermixed with truffle, crushed rock, spring flowers, and spice box. It is medium to full-bodied and comes across as a hypothetical blend of a Medoc from Bordeaux and a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. These wines are aged in one- and two-year-old foudres, and the 2005 was cropped at 25 hectoliters per hectare. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-17 years. At the request of Daniel Brunier, all of the estates where he produces wines have been grouped together. There are some changes, several of which I noted last year. The second wine of Vieux Telegraphe has changed its name from Vieux Mas des Papes to Telegramme, and of course there is a major effort underway by Brunier to dramatically increase the quality of La Roquette with the introduction of a new luxury cuvee of about 4,000 bottles made from 100% Grenache from 70-year-old vines planted in a sector of Chateauneuf du Pape known as Les Pialons. The importer is Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524, except for the Domaine La Roquette, which is imported by Diageo Chateau Estate Wines, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400 |