Another solid négociant effort, the 2017 Gigondas Pierre Aiguille combines hints of Mexican chocolate and red raspberries in a full-bodied, silky-textured wine. It's ripe yet chewy, with attractive hints of orange zest and licorice on the long finish. It's 80% Grenache, with 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah.

The same blend as the 2015, the 2016 Gigondas Pierre Aiguille features many of the same notes as that wine, showing hints of cinnamon and pepper against a backdrop of berry fruit. It's full-bodied and creamy in texture but with the added interest of a fine acid line and the tension that creates among the various elements, extending through the long, silky finish.

Jaboulet's Southern Rh?ne offerings continue to improve. The 2015 Gigondas Pierre Aiguille is 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, aged a year in large oak vats. It's full-bodied, supple and creamy in texture, with notes of ripe cherries and cinnamon streusel that turn delightfully silky on the finish. It's modern-style deliciousness that should drink well for a decade.

The 2014s from this estate are both solid wines, yet come in behind the 2015s. The 2014 Gigondas Pierre Aiguille (80% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Mourvèdre) offers attractive notes of spring flowers, black cherries and violets, with good concentration and the firm tannin that’s common in the vintage. Drink it over the coming 5-6 years.