Up there among the best Gigondas I've ever reviewed, the 2018 Gigondas le Poste combines considerable complexity with incredible intensity and adds a seductive measure of suppleness without sacrificing length or focus. Violet and aniseed aromas accent plums and black cherries on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied and velvety in texture, with a long, silky finish that folds in notes of salted licorice.

More civilized than it was last year out of barrel, the 2017 Gigondas le Poste boasts lovely blueberry and cassis fruit. It's full-bodied and intense yet silky and darn near elegant on the palate. Don't underestimate the quantity of (ripe) tannins here, which provide a pleasant chewiness to the long, salted-licorice finish.