2010 年份的 Roaix Les Crottes 是一款混釀酒，有櫻桃酒的味道，酸度較高，散發(fā)著礦物質(zhì)、胡椒、雪松和泥土的芳香，還帶有一些水果和甘油的味道，酒體中等偏高。該酒最好在 5 至 7 年內(nèi)飲用。

A long-forgotten appellation, but a very good wine is the 2009 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Roaix Les Crottes, which is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. Floral notes, sweet kirsch, black currant, and dusty, loamy soil notes are all present in this medium to full-bodied wine aged in old foudres. It displays plenty of flesh and a nice, heady amount of glycerin in a seductive style. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. 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

The 2008 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Roaix Les Crottes , from a little known village that produces some fine wines, appears to have lost a little of its fruit since I tasted it last year. Nevertheless, it remains a competent wine for the vintage with a deep ruby color as well as lots of pepper, floral and black cherry notes, medium body and a more pinched finish than was apparent last year. The ebullient Yves Gras put me through a wonderful tasting of all his wines. His negociant operation under the Santa Duc Selections brand continues to expand. As most insiders are aware, the village of Sablet is well-known for its sandy soils and high quality white wines. Gras has produced two very good vintages of this cuvee, which is a blend of 35% Viognier, 35% Bourboulenc and the rest equal parts Clairette and Grenache Blanc. Yves Gras first made his Gigondas Grand Grenache 66 in 2007. An amusing story is that when I took my notes on it, he told me it was going to be called Grand Grenache GG and when I read through my notes, the two G’s looked like two 6's, so I called it Grand Grenache 66. Gras was on vacation when he began getting calls from all over the world ordering the 66 cuvee. He had no idea what that was since he had not made a 2007 Grand Grenache 66, but rather a Grand Grenache GG. To make a long story short, he ended up changing the label on the 2007 to Grand Grenache 66. I’m not sure if he intends to keep that name or not.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Even better is the outstanding 2007 Cotes du Rhone Roaix Les Crottes. This sleeper of the vintage (80% Grenache and 20% Syrah) has a dark ruby/purple color and loads of cassis and black raspberry fruit, with licorice, lavender, and other white flowers in the intense aromatics. The wine is full-bodied, deep, and an amazing effort that should drink well for 5-6 years. Yves Gras is one of the great personalities of the southern Rhone, and I always enjoy my visits with him. Aside from his passion and singular personality is his exceptional talent for winemaking and vineyard management. First, as I have indicated in the past, he has a small negociant operation. There are very few efforts in 2008 under the “Santa Duc Selection” moniker because of the challenging vintage; he did show me three wines. The estate wines in 2008 include only one cuvee of Gigondas, as there will be no Les Hautes Garrigues produced, or his new baby, the Grand Grenache 66. The three cuvees of 2007 are certainly the finest wines I have tasted from Yves Gras since I started visiting him in the mid-1980s.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2006 Roaix Les Crottes is nearly as good as its younger sibling. This Pinot Noir-like effort displays notes of forest floor, black cherries, and currants, a smoky herbaceousness, and a balanced, restrained, attractive richness. It, too, should drink nicely for 3-4 years. One of the reference points of Gigondas as well as one of the model winemaking estates in the southern Rhone that of Yves Gras, his beloved Domaine Santa Duc. He also produces some negociant wines, which are marketed under the Santa Duc Selections moniker. Under the Domaine Santa Duc label, Gras produces one of the best buys in Cotes du Rhone, his Les Quatres Terres. Traditionally, there have been two cuvees of Gigondas produced at Domaine Santa Duc, the Cuvee Tradition and Les Hautes Garrigues (which is made in only the top vintages). However, in 2007, a new, 100% Grenache, 4,000-bottle cuvee has been produced. All three of these Gigondas are exhilarating wines of superb quality. They set reference points for what Gigondas can be. Only Louis Barroul at St.-Cosme achieves the same quality.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083