The 2003 Gigondas Cuvee Valbelle is a blend of 90% Grenache, and the balance Syrah, that was aged in 50% new French oak. A big, ripe, full-bodied effort that holds everything together, it gives up notions of black plums, blackberries and cassis to go with pepper, cured meats and roasted herbs. Possessing rock-solid, mid-palate depth and a core of sweet fruit, it’s drinking at point, but should have a gradual evolution over the coming 4-5 years. The leading producer in Gigondas, Saint Cosme has been run by the passionate and talented Louis Barruol since 1992, when he took over from his parents. Today, he produces four single-vineyard releases (the Hominis Fides and Valbelle come from essentially the same plot) and a classic Gigondas. All four of the single-vineyard releases (Valbelle, Le Claux, Hominis Fides and Le Poste) are almost all Grenache (the Valbelle incorporates 10% Syrah) and are aged in 30% new Burgundy barrels, with the balance consisting of 1-, 2- and 3-year-old barrels. The Valbelle was first made in 1993, the Hominis Fides in 2003, and both the Le Poste and Le Claux were first introduced in 2006. The Valbelle and Hominis Fides both come from sand and limestone-driven soils and a plot of vines located just down the street from the domaine, on the north side of the La Payouse Street, which leads into the Village of Gigondas. The Le Claux lies on the other side of the street and consists of vines planted before 1914 and more clay, gravel and limestone-driven soils, without the sand component that’s found in the Hominis Fides. Lastly, the Le Poste comes from a terraced vineyard (there are four terraces, one planted all to white varieties), just up the hill from the domaine that was replanted in 1963 by Louis father, Henri Barruol. The soils are mostly limestone and yellow marl, and this cuvee is always the most elegant and feminine in style. All three of these vineyards are within a 5 minute walk of each other. While these cuvees can be frightfully tannic on release, they round into form with a handful of years in the cellar, and age beautifully. Looking at his classic Gigondas, it’s all from estate fruit and is a rough blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the balance Cinsault. Aging here is a combination of tank and older barrels. Looking specifically at this tasting, the idea was to taste through a broad sample set to get a better understanding of how these cuvees evolve. While any day you get to taste in Barruol’s cellar is a good one, I was thrilled to see how well his wines had held up over the years. In short, these are some of the finest Gigondas that money can buy. Starting off with two whites, Barruol makes one barrel from his Le Poste Vineyard, which has one of its four terraces planted to Clairette. He first produced the cuvee in 1992, and because no whites are allowed from Gigondas, it’s labeled as a Cotes du Rhone. Moving to the reds, and starting with the 2007s, this is easily one of the greatest lineups of Gigondas I’ve ever tasted. It also shows how special this vintage was throughout the entire Southern Rhone. Moving to the 2006s, these are big, rich and classically-styled efforts that scream Gigondas.