Domaine du Gour de Chaule Gigondas Cuvee Tradition 2016

Vivid ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and pit fruits, potpourri and garrigue, and an exotic spice note emerges in the glass. Stains the palate with sweet raspberry, cherry and lavender pastille flavors that steadily put on weight with air. Conveys a suave blend of power and finesse and finishes extremely long and floral, with fine-grained tannins lending discreet grip.

Still in a combination of concrete tanks and wooden foudres, the 2016 Gigondas Cuvee Tradition is relatively muted on the nose but shows enormous fruit on the palate, giving up notes of cherries and stone fruit. My raw notes even ask the question: "Maybe, maybe too much fruit?" As an aside, is that even possible? This big, fruit-driven wine lacks a bit of nuance at this stage, but it is enjoyable and no doubt will develop some additional complexity with bottle age.