2018 YVES CHERON “LA GRAND COMTADINE” GIGONDAS “750ML”

2018 YVES CHERON “LA GRAND COMTADINE” GIGONDAS “750ML”   Wine Enthusiast -Gigondas, Rhone Valley, France – “Fragrant whiffs of raspberry patches and violet blossoms perfume this fruit-focused red…The wine is ripe yet struck by cooling tones of minerality and soft, soothing tannins. Enchanting…”

I beg you all not too miss the mind-blowing 2018 Southern Rhones. I visited the region before the wines were released, and now have tasted nearly of the best and I can tell the wines are absolutely spectacular. These wines are still great value when compared to other great regions in the world and I can’t urge you enough not to miss out.

Today’s offer comes from the village of Gigondas (25 minute drive northeast from Chateauneuf du Pape), which gained popularity after being referred to by Robert Parker as “baby Chateauneuf du Pape.”  The wines of Chateauneuf are the benchmark of Southern Rhone, but when you hunt outside near the surrounding villages you can find producers and wines that rival the quality of Chateauneuf du Pape at a fraction of the price.

The wine is 2018 Yves Cheron “La Grand Comtadine” Gigondas, scored 94 from WE, and is a knockout.  If you’ve always been intrigued by Southern Rhone and are a lover of rhone blends from other parts of the world, this is an ideal vintage and wine for you.  Parker, in his review, called the wine “ripe and modern, but yummy at the same time.”  The wine has the fruit concentration and richness of more “new age” reds, but still maintains its sense of place and complexities that lovers of Southern Rhone gravitate to.  Recommending a case to drink now, and a case to lay down for the next 10-15 years.