The old vines cuvee is the 2016 Gigondas Les Racines and comes from the oldest vines of the estate located around the domaine. The soils here lie around 200-300 feet in elevation and are a mix of broken limestone and clay, and the resulting wine is always blacker fruited, dense, and concentrated. Blackcurrants, black olives, exotic spices, and crushed rock notes all flow to a powerful, concentrated, tannic Gigondas that has remarkable purity and elegance. It shows the balance and freshness, as well as richness, that makes this vintage so compelling, and while it needs 2-3 years of bottle age, it's a profound, sensationally complex, layered wine readers shouldn't miss!

The 2016 Gigondas Les Racines was in its foudres at the time of my visit, but I still think it is the equal of the Brunier family's Châteauneufs. Full-bodied and rich but silky and almost lacy in texture, it marries raspberries and apricots with lovely herbal nuances and a lingering finish. It's a tremendous Gigondas, made from 75-year-old vines (80% Grenache). JC

Vivid ruby. Sexy, mineral- and spice-accented blueberry and black raspberry aromas show excellent clarity and pick up an exotic five-spice powder flourish as the wine opens up. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet dark berry and spicecake flavors that show a suave blend of depth and energy. Finishes very long and silky, with slow-building tannins adding shape and gentle grip. Josh Raynolds