The 2009 Gigondas Tradition, a blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre and the rest Syrah and Cinsault, tips the scales at about 16% alcohol, so there’s nothing wimpy about this wine. Loads of blueberry, smoky blackberry, kirsch, licorice and hints of toast and earth all make an appearance in this voluptuously styled, evolved wine, which is already drinking beautifully. This wine has low acidity and velvety tannins, so there’s no need to wait to enjoy this gorgeous red, which is drinking well now and should continue to do so for at least another 10-12 years. One of the long-time benchmarks for superb Gigondas is Yves Gras’ estate on the high plateau several kilometers outside the entrance to this old Roman village. He has also expanded into the negociant end of the business with his Santa Duc Selections, which are very reliable wines worth a serious look. Until 2007, there were consistently two cuvees of Gigondas made in top vintages. With the finest vintages, Gras has now added a 100% Grenache cuvee called Grand Grenache 66, from a tiny parcel of vines and essentially just one small foudre. Turning back to the basic wines, they offer good value and are top-flight wines. The newest baby for Yves Gras comes from his purchase of 1.23 hectares (essentially about 3+ acres) of old vines planted with 100% Grenache in the Chateauneuf du Pape lieu-dit in the very north known as Font du Loup.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Not surprisingly, the 2009 Gigondas Tradition (a classic blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault) is a much denser, bigger, richer wine with an alcohol level pushing 16%. It reveals a dense ruby/purple color, outstanding ripeness and hints of licorice, truffles, asphalt, blackberries, blueberries and barbecue smoke. Drink it over the next 5-8 years. (Not yet released)The ebullient Yves Gras put me through a wonderful tasting of all his wines. His negociant operation under the Santa Duc Selections brand continues to expand. As most insiders are aware, the village of Sablet is well-known for its sandy soils and high quality white wines. Gras has produced two very good vintages of this cuvee, which is a blend of 35% Viognier, 35% Bourboulenc and the rest equal parts Clairette and Grenache Blanc. Yves Gras first made his Gigondas Grand Grenache 66 in 2007. An amusing story is that when I took my notes on it, he told me it was going to be called Grand Grenache GG and when I read through my notes, the two G’s looked like two 6's, so I called it Grand Grenache 66. Gras was on vacation when he began getting calls from all over the world ordering the 66 cuvee. He had no idea what that was since he had not made a 2007 Grand Grenache 66, but rather a Grand Grenache GG. To make a long story short, he ended up changing the label on the 2007 to Grand Grenache 66. I’m not sure if he intends to keep that name or not.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083