2019, Domaine Brusset, GIGONDAS, 'Les Secrets de Montmirail'

There are just 200 cases of the 2017 Gigondas Les Secrets de Montmirail, drawn from three terraces high in the Dentelles. A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, it's full-bodied, dense and chocolaty, with fruit notes of black cherries and plums and a long, softly dusty finish. - "This was the first time in 29 years I've seen mildew like that," said Laurent Brusset, as we began by discussing the 2018 vintage. Brusset went on: "It rained every week in May. In Cairanne, it was impossible to get the tractors in the vineyards. I got stuck three times. ... With a spring like we had, we're lucky to have these wines. A dry, windy August dried out the rot." In the end, Brusset lost half his crop in Rasteau, and volumes were down 35% overall. His Gigondas vineyards, up in the Dentelles de Montmirail, were virtually unaffected. "It's a difficult vintage but with a good result. A good balance between alcohol and acidity," he concluded. The recently bottled 2017s have turned out well, perhaps a bit firmer than they appeared last year from tank, but Brusset still describes it as "a nice vintage to drink now—it's not aggressive." Brusset continues to be one of the pace-setters in Cairanne. 94 Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate.

Drinking Window: 2019 - 2025