2015 Gigondas Cuvée Le Lieu Dit Domaine des Bosquets

A cool, north-west facing microclimate, lower than La Colline, but harvested after. 80% destemmed, fermented in stainless steel, aged in old demi-muids. Wow - the nose. Lavender, rosemary, blueberries and strawberries, Victoria plums. Full-bodied, powerful, rich and fresh. Precise acidity, and quite a powerful, driven character. The alcohol is a little noticeable, but the intensity of the other elements deflects your attention. Structured, super-fine tannins and a very long finish. Gigondas as superhero. 5,000 bottles. 2019-2027.

The 2015 Gigondas Le Lieu-Dit is almost as good, yet plays in a dramatically different style, offering perfumed, elegant notes of framboise, strawberries, kirsch, dried flowers, forest floor and lots of sandy/loamy/soil notes. Coming from a cool, sandy terroir located just beside the estate and 100% Grenache aged all in older demi-muids, it possesses full-bodied richness, a seamless, silky texture, fine tannin and terrific length. The Chambolle-Musigny of the Rhône? Give bottles a few years and drink through 2030. There are 416 cases produced. Under the helm of the young Julien Brechet, with aid from omnipresent Philippe Cambie, Domaine des Bosquets has quickly risen into the top handful of estates in Gigondas, as well as in all of the Southern Rhône. The 2015s shine for their purity and finesse, but the 2016s have everything you could want in wine. You can't go wrong with any of these.

More finesse-oriented than the blockbuster style La Colline release, the 2015 Gigondas le Lieu Dit is another Grenache-dominated wine that comes from a cooler, late parcel of sandy soils located just beside the estate. Notes of strawberries, raspberries, crushed flowers, kirsch and spice all emerge from this full-bodied, utterly seamless, pure and gorgeously balanced beauty that doesn't have a hard edge to be found. It will drink well for 10-15 years or more.

Red Intense raspberry and boysenberry fruit unwinds slowly here, with light bergamot, black tea and violet notes skittering throughout. The structure is ample but very fine-grained, and there's lilting perfume lingering on the mineral-edged finish. Approachable, but try to hold off a bit. Best from 2019 through 2030.