A delicious, fruit-loaded effort that’s geared for near-term drinking, the 2012 Gigondas The GIG is an old vine blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre and 5% other permitted varieties. Offering up pure blackberry, creamy licorice and spice on the nose, this medium-bodied, fresh, slightly modern-styled effort has loads of character and should represent a good value. Enjoy it over the coming 4-5 years. This large estate produces a bevy of rich, fruit-forward efforts that remain more than reasonably priced. Looking at the 2011s, this is a solid vintage here and the wines make the most of the vintage, with upfront fruit and texture. Importer: Grape Expectations, Raleigh, NC; tel. (919) 781-1655

In the same ball park quality-wise, the 2011 Gigondas The GIG is ripe and fruity, with plenty of black licorice, raspberry, blackberry and pepper in its upfront, textured personality. It’s a high-quality crowd-pleaser geared for near-term drinking. This large estate produces a bevy of rich, fruit-forward efforts that remain more than reasonably priced. Looking at the 2011s, this is a solid vintage here and the wines make the most of the vintage, with upfront fruit and texture. Importer: Grape Expectations, Raleigh, NC; tel. (919) 781-1655