Brilliant magenta. Potent, spice- and mineral-accented red fruits, succulent flowers and exotic spices on the highly perfumed, sharply delineated nose. Palate-caressing raspberry, bitter cherry, candied lavender and star anise flavors steadily deepen as the wine opens up. Manages to be both powerful and graceful, showing wonderful intensity and detail on a strikingly long, youthfully tannic finish.

More structured than the fruit-driven 2016, the 2017 Gigondas Cuvee Tradition is still successful, boasting aromas of cranberries and citrus yet turning darker and richer on the palate. It's full-bodied and tannic, with crisp acids, but finishes on a silky note. Give it a few years in the cellar to round into form.