Along with silky tannins, and tremendous flamboyance and opulence, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2007 Gigondas Cuvee des Blanches offers plenty of kirsch, garrigue, pepper, and earth characteristics in its extroverted aromatics. Full-bodied, dense, chewy, and silky-textured, it should provide early drinkability, yet age nicely for a decade. Philippe Cartoux owns approximately 25 acres of vines planted on the pure limestone/clay soils that dominate the Gigondas appellation. The vines average 40-years of age, and the Cuvee Tradition is generally a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah aged in both tank and small barrels. The Cuvee des Blanches tends to be composed of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah that is kept in 500-liter demi-muids. I did not see the 2006s, but the 2007s reveal excellent potential.Various American importers including: USA Wine Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 941-7133; and Cascade Trade, Seattle, WA, tel. (206) 223-0410