The 2010 Gigondas Prestige Les Hautes Garrigues seems more backward and restrained, and so primary it could have just finished fermentation. Dense, with an inky purple color, notes of blueberries and blackberries, some new saddle leather and toasty oak, this wine is backward and will require serious patience from consumers when it is released next year. I would set it aside for 4-5 years, and drink it over the following 15 or more. (Not yet released)One of the long-time benchmarks for superb Gigondas is Yves Gras’ estate on the high plateau several kilometers outside the entrance to this old Roman village. He has also expanded into the negociant end of the business with his Santa Duc Selections, which are very reliable wines worth a serious look. Until 2007, there were consistently two cuvees of Gigondas made in top vintages. With the finest vintages, Gras has now added a 100% Grenache cuvee called Grand Grenache 66, from a tiny parcel of vines and essentially just one small foudre. Turning back to the basic wines, they offer good value and are top-flight wines. The newest baby for Yves Gras comes from his purchase of 1.23 hectares (essentially about 3+ acres) of old vines planted with 100% Grenache in the Chateauneuf du Pape lieu-dit in the very north known as Font du Loup.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Up with the 2007 and 2001, the sensational 2010 Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues is a full-bodied, incredibly rich, yet pure and balanced Gigondas that offers off-the-hook notes of graphite, creme de cassis, licorice and roasted herb aromas and flavors. It's still a baby and needs to be forgotten for 3-4 years, but it will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity. It could be a candidate for perfection at maturity.