A total shocker was the 1997 Gigondas, which comes from an unheralded vintage and offers a forward, mature, yet elegant profile to go with lots of spice, potpourri, underbrush and forest floor aromas and flavors. It's fully mature, yet has tons of charm, good mid-palate depth (Grenache, baby) and a good finish. Well stored bottles will still offer plenty of charm over the coming couple of years, but don't make the mistake of holding off too long.

This wine is a soft, forward, open-knit, low acid wine with good ripeness, but a touch of dilution. The 1997 Gigondas possesses a slightly saturated color, as well as pepper and a large frame in the mouth. This wine is an easy-going, forward, bistro-styled red to drink over the next 3-5 years.Probably the leading estate in Gigondas, Yves Gras's Santa Duc continues to turn out some of the most complete, concentrated, and potentially complex wines of the southern Rhone. In the two difficult vintages of 1996 and 1997, the wines are solidly made, with the 1996 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues Cuvee Prestige stunning. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083