The 2009 Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes, which I liked last year, continues to drink very well. Notes of pepper, garrigue, black cherry and currants along with some tobacco leaf and underbrush are all present in this medium-bodied wine, meant for consumption over its first 2-3 years. One of the long-time benchmarks for superb Gigondas is Yves Gras’ estate on the high plateau several kilometers outside the entrance to this old Roman village. He has also expanded into the negociant end of the business with his Santa Duc Selections, which are very reliable wines worth a serious look. Until 2007, there were consistently two cuvees of Gigondas made in top vintages. With the finest vintages, Gras has now added a 100% Grenache cuvee called Grand Grenache 66, from a tiny parcel of vines and essentially just one small foudre. Turning back to the basic wines, they offer good value and are top-flight wines. The newest baby for Yves Gras comes from his purchase of 1.23 hectares (essentially about 3+ acres) of old vines planted with 100% Grenache in the Chateauneuf du Pape lieu-dit in the very north known as Font du Loup.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2007 Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes (75% Grenache and the rest Syrah) is opulent, fleshy, and rich, with a dark ruby/purple color, medium to full body, and admirable flavor intensity. It does not offer a great deal of complexity, but it is mouthfilling and satisfying. It should drink well for 2-3 years. Yves Gras is one of the great personalities of the southern Rhone, and I always enjoy my visits with him. Aside from his passion and singular personality is his exceptional talent for winemaking and vineyard management. First, as I have indicated in the past, he has a small negociant operation. There are very few efforts in 2008 under the “Santa Duc Selection” moniker because of the challenging vintage; he did show me three wines. The estate wines in 2008 include only one cuvee of Gigondas, as there will be no Les Hautes Garrigues produced, or his new baby, the Grand Grenache 66. The three cuvees of 2007 are certainly the finest wines I have tasted from Yves Gras since I started visiting him in the mid-1980s.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2006 Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes is slightly better, revealing more concentration as well as additional notes of kirsch and pepper, and a broader, plusher mouthfeel. One of the reference points of Gigondas as well as one of the model winemaking estates in the southern Rhone that of Yves Gras, his beloved Domaine Santa Duc. He also produces some negociant wines, which are marketed under the Santa Duc Selections moniker. Under the Domaine Santa Duc label, Gras produces one of the best buys in Cotes du Rhone, his Les Quatres Terres. Traditionally, there have been two cuvees of Gigondas produced at Domaine Santa Duc, the Cuvee Tradition and Les Hautes Garrigues (which is made in only the top vintages). However, in 2007, a new, 100% Grenache, 4,000-bottle cuvee has been produced. All three of these Gigondas are exhilarating wines of superb quality. They set reference points for what Gigondas can be. Only Louis Barroul at St.-Cosme achieves the same quality.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The negociant reds include a blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah, the 2004 Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes. It is an elegant, medium-bodied, straightforward red with good berry fruit. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083