The 2005 Les Pallieres Gigondas has a slightly darker ruby/purple color than the 2004. Moreover, it also has a big, sweet nose of cherry fruit intermixed with truffle, crushed rock, spring flowers, and spice box. It is medium to full-bodied and comes across as a hypothetical blend of a Medoc from Bordeaux and a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. These wines are aged in one- and two-year-old foudres, and the 2005 was cropped at 25 hectoliters per hectare. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-17 years.
At the request of Daniel Brunier, all of the estates where he produces wines have been grouped together. There are some changes, several of which I noted last year. The second wine of Vieux Telegraphe has changed its name from Vieux Mas des Papes to Telegramme, and of course there is a major effort underway by Brunier to dramatically increase the quality of La Roquette with the introduction of a new luxury cuvee of about 4,000 bottles made from 100% Grenache from 70-year-old vines planted in a sector of Chateauneuf du Pape known as Les Pialons.
(WA 28th Feb 2007)
