2011 Gigondas, L'Argnee, Vieilles Vignes, Famille Perrin, Rhône

Also brilliant, the 2011 Gigondas LArgnee Vieilles Vignes (fermented with 50% stems) exhibits fantastic Grenache character with loads of kirsch, cinnamon, cured meats, dusty soil and underbrush all soaring from the glass. Also full-bodied and deeply concentrated, it has fine tannin, bright acidity and a vibrant, energetic texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. Like the Domaine du Clos des Tourelles, it will have upward of 15 years of longevity and is more than a little impressive. Drink now-2026.jeb_dunnuck - 31/10/2013

Even better is the 2011 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes, which comes from pre-phylloxera vines on the estate they purchased. Notes of blackberry, black currant, crushed rock, acacia flowers and raspberry are all present in this wine, which has terrific concentration, loads of zesty acids and a deep, penetrating mouthfeel. As I said last year, the Perrin family is a large one indeed, with brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois sitting at the top of the hierarchy and their four sons, Mathieu, Pierre, Thomas and Marc increasingly taking charge of their negociant business and their extensive estates throughout Southern Rhone. Now controlling over 1200 acres, as well as having a network of contracts, this operation is the equivalent of a major Southern Rhone train operating at high speed. Moreover, they are doing some incredible work in all price ranges. Other 2011s that the Perrin boys have produced include the following wines, which were very good across the board, especially for 2011s. In particular, readers need to take a hard look at their estate in Vinsobres, which is making the finest wines of that appellation, and more recently, what they are doing in Gigondas with the estate they purchased there, Clos des Tourelles. These are special wines. There are now three cuvees of Gigondas from the Perrins - the Gigondas La Gille, the Gigondas Vieilles Vignes and the Gigondas Clos des Tourelles. All three merit serious attention. Tasting the 2010s, which were all set to go into bottle right after my visit, certainly shows that this vintage is impressive, although I'm not sure that Marc and Pierre Perrin haven't done as good a job with their selections in 2011. Three cuvees of Gigondas look to all have outstanding potential and will probably be in bottle by the time this report is published. robert_parker, Wine Advocate #204, Dec 2012