2001 Domaine Les Gouberts Gigondas Cuvee Florence 14.5%
A red Beaumes de Venise from this domaine was one of the wines that got me hooked in the early 90s, so I've always had a soft spot for Les Gouberts. Their Cuvee Florence has always struck me as a very fine Gigondas, distinguished by its silkiness. But tasting this last night made me realize how my palate has changed. We had it with a baked (very runny and molten) Mont d'Or, one so stinky that, to sniff the wine, I had to forage for untainted air in some nether region of our apartment. Blackberries, herbs and an overwhelming frame of (I would have sworn American) oak. The trademark velvety tannins are there, very elegant, with adequate acidity, a certain spicy heat, and a light bitter finish. Midstream, some mocha joins the fray. But the waves of brand new toasted oak just keep comin' and comin', characterizing this as very modern, despite the apparent lack of supermaturity. Once the thought arose that this was engineered to garner points, it wouldn't let go.
