This hasn’t changed much in the past few years. It’s still a big scaled wine that’s handling the 15% alc and warm vintage of 2003 very well. It’s quite dry and displays dried flowers, and dark cherry fruit along with garrigue notes. There’s a hint of plum as well. If served blind I could easily guess Barolo on this. Either way, this works with lamb with garlic and rosemary. Fully mature but no hurry to drink up.
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Quite rich with a core of kirsch, but much better balanced, than one would expect. The ripe Grenache is plentiful here, there is good local spice as well. The vintage end the warm terroir is handled very well. Drink up. #Bagnols-en-Forêt
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Much better than expected, this is showing plenty of concentrated kirsch, sweet, ripe Grenache. Very young showing and just almost over the top - but keeps some sort of balance. Better with food. #Bagnols-en-Forêt
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First bottle from a case I bought chez Yves Gras back in the days. What a surprise, this is full of character and life, not warm at all. Darker fruited with marks of animal farm and leather. It’s a big, full on wine, for sure, it requires food, but it’s true to origin with notes of dark cherry fruit and Provençal herbs. Reminds me a little bit of the style of Henri Bonneau.
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Weekly tasting group RWP #249: Rhône; Gigondas (@ VD): Beautiful and complex bouquet with dark berries and cherries, smoke, mint, animals, and beautiful oak. On the palate juicy dark berries, herbs and spices, some pleasant sweetness and soft tannin with a pleasant bite. Overall a full bodied wine with a lot of structure, length and a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness.
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Drank on a very hot summer day alongside a herring/lettuce/caper/tomato/cucumber sandwich and salad. Delicious despite the nominal 15% alcohol - I drank it cold like a white... And actually it was a perfect combination with the sweetness of the fruit and alcohol balancing perfectly the salty/savoury kipper. The wine is mature and has aromas of macerated red and black fruit, sweet spice, tomato paste and a whiff of leather. Very flavorful on the palate with ripe fruit, notes of chocolate, leather and tomato paste. Tannins are firm, acidity is medium and finish is quite long. Fully mature, but seems able to last a few more years.
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Not a great showing this time. Nose was rather muted and palate was fully mature. Still a very flavorful wine, ripe and complex with a long finish. Tannins are firm and flavors include macerated red and black fruit, chocolate, coffee, leather, tomato paste, iron and hints of rubber. Judging by this bottle I would drink rather sooner than later.
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Still showing very strong, earth/barnyard/pepper but after some time quiet in the glass, more sweet nuances take over. This wine is not done yet but i doubt if it will get any nicer. This is not easy drinking but for the syrah-mourvedre lovers great stuff!
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This will not further improve, my guess is that its peak was some years ago. That said, this 03 has enough basis and length to enjoy; cigar box, earthiness and some strong herbs. Not to wait any longer, especially enjoy with some red meat.
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Very dark, hazy garnet. Nose that developed gradually: volatile acidity alongside pronounced soy sauce, kirsch liqueur, garrigue, liquorice and other sweet spices. Full-bodied and dense with noticeable heat from 15% alcohol, moderate to low acidity, dense fruit and firm, somewhat drying tannins. Long aftertaste. Just a bit oxidized but drinkable, might merrit an even higher score otherwise.
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Notes very similar to those from a year ago. Overall a mature wine with ample fruit left to age further, better on the palate -where flavors are deep, complex and ripe- than on the nose which is not bad at all but not as impressive. This time I found it quite tannic and alcohol is slightly warm. Flavors include macerated red and black fruit, chocolate, coffee, leather, tomato paste, iron and hints of rubber. A very nice wine with no jamminess which could be expected from the vintage.
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Very tasty wine! Nose shows some development and is redolent with sweet spices, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, garrigue, leathery, meaty tones and dried fruit like prune and fig. Not raisiny in any bad sense. Palate is quite full with good structure (tannins are quite chewey) and deep flavor: chocolate, sweet spice, leather, violets. Very nice, food friendly, alcohol although high is not obtrusive and finish is satisfying leaving licorice, ink and iodine notes. Very good wine. Can develop further.
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Weekly tasting group #053; 4 x 3 red 2003 (@ VD): Bouquet with beautiful oak, red as well as black fruits, licorice and some eucalyptus. On the palate the same with some sweetness, good acidity and firm tannin. A concentrated and round, intense wine. Ready now and several years of future.
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I'm not sure what to make of this wine. The nose is odd, musty fruit? Not unpleasant but not a "fresh" nose. On the PnP, the tannins are surprisingly strong, but they mellow quickly. The fruit is muted and it seems to be transitioning to the other side of the coin. Curious to see what happens in 2-3 years, although I'm not sure it will get better.
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Beautiful bouquet with still a lot of black as well as red forest fruits. On the palate good red fruit juice, spiciness, pepper, firm acidity and also a touch of sweetness. Concentrated juice with still sticky tannin. This wine will probably improve a bit over the next 3 years.
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A gift bottle from bob dylan. A fantastic wine that amazed me with its lovely, chewy texture and complexity. Deep ruby and youthful in appearance. Expressive with a lifted nose that offers meaty notes, nutmeg, sandalwood together with some new oak around a core of juicy red fruit. Tender on palate with animal notes and liquorice. Although alcohol is pretty high/15% it is well balanced by zesty acidity and solid clay-textured tannins. Long persistent finish. Fat and fresh made in a masculine style. Until 2016-2018.
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Popped and poured, epic clumpy sediment. This hits all the notes of a good Southern Rhone. It carries the 15% alcohol with exceptional grace. Great structure, still some fruit, but mostly meaty garrigue. Not heavy or as ripe as I'd expect from a 2003. Definitely in CdP quality territory. I like the age on this right now, but I think it'd improve for some people with a few more years. Definitely not cheap at $35, but worth it.
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Deep ruby colour with rim fading towards garnet. Nose of medium intensity in a stage in the middle between youth and maturity, fruit together with the beginning of tertiary aromas. Ripe almost jammy cherry fruit along with dried fruit aromas like fig and plum. Sweet spice, herbs and leather. Typical southern Rhone nose. Palate is full but not overpowering with ripe fruit and sweet spice, almost sweet. Acidity balances maturity but alcohol is slightly high. Nice warm and generous wine. Tannins are velvety, ripe and fat.
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All that it should be! Solid fruit, structure, fine grain tannins, spice and a long finish. Delightful for sipping or excellent in complementing light meat dishes.
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Took some time to open up (overnight vaccuvin'ed was best), but when it did lots of wonderful jazzy raspberry chocolate and loamy earth emerged. Classic Gigondas, warm and earthy, fruity, silky.
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This rich, ripe, modern-styled Gigondas feels a bit tight now and should be better in a year or so. The oak doesn't feel fully integrated and the nose is a bit young, too. Still, this has some good black fruit and the potential for balance.
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Woodland Hills Wine: More of reg. Gigondas, huge t’s, pepper; dark red, purple; blkberry frt, super smooth, viscous, refined, power--lots of earthy softer spices. Really amazing terroir w/power and character.
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6/25/2023 - pbaek wrote:
This hasn’t changed much in the past few years. It’s still a big scaled wine that’s handling the 15% alc and warm vintage of 2003 very well. It’s quite dry and displays dried flowers, and dark cherry fruit along with garrigue notes. There’s a hint of plum as well. If served blind I could easily guess Barolo on this. Either way, this works with lamb with garlic and rosemary. Fully mature but no hurry to drink up.
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10/17/2022 - beatles wrote: 90 Points
Quite rich with a core of kirsch, but much better balanced, than one would expect. The ripe Grenache is plentiful here, there is good local spice as well. The vintage end the warm terroir is handled very well. Drink up.
#Bagnols-en-Forêt
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11/10/2021 - beatles wrote: 91 Points
Much better than expected, this is showing plenty of concentrated kirsch, sweet, ripe Grenache. Very young showing and just almost over the top - but keeps some sort of balance. Better with food.
#Bagnols-en-Forêt
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4/17/2021 - pbaek wrote:
First bottle from a case I bought chez Yves Gras back in the days. What a surprise, this is full of character and life, not warm at all. Darker fruited with marks of animal farm and leather. It’s a big, full on wine, for sure, it requires food, but it’s true to origin with notes of dark cherry fruit and Provençal herbs. Reminds me a little bit of the style of Henri Bonneau.
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3/20/2017 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #249: Rhône; Gigondas (@ VD): Beautiful and complex bouquet with dark berries and cherries, smoke, mint, animals, and beautiful oak. On the palate juicy dark berries, herbs and spices, some pleasant sweetness and soft tannin with a pleasant bite. Overall a full bodied wine with a lot of structure, length and a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness.
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6/21/2016 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank on a very hot summer day alongside a herring/lettuce/caper/tomato/cucumber sandwich and salad.
Delicious despite the nominal 15% alcohol - I drank it cold like a white...
And actually it was a perfect combination with the sweetness of the fruit and alcohol balancing perfectly the salty/savoury kipper.
The wine is mature and has aromas of macerated red and black fruit, sweet spice, tomato paste and a whiff of leather.
Very flavorful on the palate with ripe fruit, notes of chocolate, leather and tomato paste. Tannins are firm, acidity is medium and finish is quite long.
Fully mature, but seems able to last a few more years.
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3/5/2015 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not a great showing this time.
Nose was rather muted and palate was fully mature.
Still a very flavorful wine, ripe and complex with a long finish.
Tannins are firm and flavors include macerated red and black fruit,
chocolate, coffee, leather, tomato paste, iron and hints of rubber.
Judging by this bottle I would drink rather sooner than later.
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11/16/2014 - Stefanos T. wrote: flawed
Corked - but most people on the table did not seem to mind, even after it was pointed out! Behind the cork a rich mature wine.
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3/27/2014 - vanderpee wrote: 92 Points
Still showing very strong, earth/barnyard/pepper but after some time quiet in the glass, more sweet nuances take over. This wine is not done yet but i doubt if it will get any nicer. This is not easy drinking but for the syrah-mourvedre lovers great stuff!
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12/13/2013 - vanderpee wrote: 88 Points
This will not further improve, my guess is that its peak was some years ago. That said, this 03 has enough basis and length to enjoy; cigar box, earthiness and some strong herbs. Not to wait any longer, especially enjoy with some red meat.
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11/16/2013 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
Very dark, hazy garnet. Nose that developed gradually: volatile acidity alongside pronounced soy sauce, kirsch liqueur, garrigue, liquorice and other sweet spices. Full-bodied and dense with noticeable heat from 15% alcohol, moderate to low acidity, dense fruit and firm, somewhat drying tannins. Long aftertaste. Just a bit oxidized but drinkable, might merrit an even higher score otherwise.
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11/6/2013 - Stefanos T. wrote: 92 Points
Notes very similar to those from a year ago.
Overall a mature wine with ample fruit left to age further,
better on the palate -where flavors are deep, complex and ripe- than on
the nose which is not bad at all but not as impressive. This time I found it quite
tannic and alcohol is slightly warm. Flavors include macerated red and black fruit,
chocolate, coffee, leather, tomato paste, iron and hints of rubber.
A very nice wine with no jamminess which could be expected from the vintage.
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12/4/2012 - Stefanos T. wrote: 92 Points
Very tasty wine! Nose shows some development and is redolent with sweet spices, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, garrigue, leathery, meaty tones and dried fruit like prune and fig. Not raisiny in any bad sense. Palate is quite full with good structure (tannins are quite chewey) and deep flavor: chocolate, sweet spice, leather, violets. Very nice, food friendly, alcohol although high is not obtrusive and finish is satisfying leaving licorice, ink and iodine notes. Very good wine. Can develop further.
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11/26/2012 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Weekly tasting group #053; 4 x 3 red 2003 (@ VD): Bouquet with beautiful oak, red as well as black fruits, licorice and some eucalyptus. On the palate the same with some sweetness, good acidity and firm tannin. A concentrated and round, intense wine. Ready now and several years of future.
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9/30/2012 - KyleMittskus wrote:
I'm not sure what to make of this wine. The nose is odd, musty fruit? Not unpleasant but not a "fresh" nose. On the PnP, the tannins are surprisingly strong, but they mellow quickly. The fruit is muted and it seems to be transitioning to the other side of the coin. Curious to see what happens in 2-3 years, although I'm not sure it will get better.
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7/20/2012 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful bouquet with still a lot of black as well as red forest fruits. On the palate good red fruit juice, spiciness, pepper, firm acidity and also a touch of sweetness. Concentrated juice with still sticky tannin. This wine will probably improve a bit over the next 3 years.
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3/6/2012 - Dokken wrote: 94 Points
A gift bottle from bob dylan. A fantastic wine that amazed me with its lovely, chewy texture and complexity. Deep ruby and youthful in appearance. Expressive with a lifted nose that offers meaty notes, nutmeg, sandalwood together with some new oak around a core of juicy red fruit. Tender on palate with animal notes and liquorice. Although alcohol is pretty high/15% it is well balanced by zesty acidity and solid clay-textured tannins. Long persistent finish. Fat and fresh made in a masculine style. Until 2016-2018.
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8/25/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured, epic clumpy sediment. This hits all the notes of a good Southern Rhone. It carries the 15% alcohol with exceptional grace. Great structure, still some fruit, but mostly meaty garrigue. Not heavy or as ripe as I'd expect from a 2003. Definitely in CdP quality territory. I like the age on this right now, but I think it'd improve for some people with a few more years. Definitely not cheap at $35, but worth it.
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6/12/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby colour with rim fading towards garnet. Nose of medium intensity in a stage in the middle between youth and maturity, fruit together with the beginning of tertiary aromas. Ripe almost jammy cherry fruit along with dried fruit aromas like fig and plum. Sweet spice, herbs and leather. Typical southern Rhone nose. Palate is full but not overpowering with ripe fruit and sweet spice, almost sweet. Acidity balances maturity but alcohol is slightly high. Nice warm and generous wine. Tannins are velvety, ripe and fat.
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2/20/2011 - Kriz wrote: 90 Points
Lovely wine for the winter days. Rich an full. lovely dark fruit. Good balance in spite of the high (15%) alcohol.
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12/5/2010 - whudock wrote: 91 Points
All that it should be! Solid fruit, structure, fine grain tannins, spice and a long finish. Delightful for sipping or excellent in complementing light meat dishes.
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6/28/2010 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly refreshing, balanced, juicy and rich. Almost sweet in its richness, but light on its feet.
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12/7/2008 - Pegge wrote: 89 Points
Lots of cedar, nice structure.
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12/2/2008 - danstrings wrote: 91 Points
Took some time to open up (overnight vaccuvin'ed was best), but when it did lots of wonderful jazzy raspberry chocolate and loamy earth emerged. Classic Gigondas, warm and earthy, fruity, silky.
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8/8/2008 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Caveau du Gigondas: Licorice, leather, complex min., forlal, frt, big, but not huge. Amazingly good. 27 E., $43.
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10/26/2007 - yotaiwan wrote: 89 Points
rich but not much of a depth after the strong start
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4/11/2007 - SimonG wrote:
Uncorked Rhone Tasting (Uncorked, Exchange Arcade, London): Fragrant, floral nose. Quite full but seems a bit closed on palate.
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2/27/2007 - Wicker Parker wrote:
This rich, ripe, modern-styled Gigondas feels a bit tight now and should be better in a year or so. The oak doesn't feel fully integrated and the nose is a bit young, too. Still, this has some good black fruit and the potential for balance.
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2/25/2006 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Woodland Hills Wine: More of reg. Gigondas, huge t’s, pepper; dark red, purple; blkberry frt, super smooth, viscous, refined, power--lots of earthy softer spices. Really amazing terroir w/power and character.
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