Château Gigognan – Clos du Roi 2012 – Châteauneuf du Pape

Medium towards deep ruby, slight evolution on the rim. Very generous nose, offering ripe fruit. Plenty of sun in this one, sweet plum, kirsch, feels almost like cherry liqueur. We have some herbal spiciness, a dash of bouquet garni, bay leaf. Rich palate. High ripeness, high alcohol, very rounded. Delicious fruit, plenty of sweet strawberry, cherry, plum. There’s a hint of tannin, but I think this is a wine that gets its freshness from the tannins rather than the acidity, because it’s from a hot climate. Bold and opulent style. Long and lingering finish, still very youthful, a lot of baby fat yet, certainly with the structure and density to develop for many years, but if you like this style I think it’s pretty accessible already now, however I’d like to serve this at a slightly lower temperature because of the quite high level of alcohol. A very nice and opulent wine.

Tasted by the Best Sommelier of the World, Andreas Larsson.