Gigondas Hautes Garrigues Cuvée Prestige, Domaine Santa Duc 1998

The 1998 Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues is a stunner. Full-bodied, rich, layered and concentrated, with classic and mature notes of figs, spice box, cured meats and garrigue, it has a sensational texture, ripe, sweet tannin and a great finish. This bottle was even more impressive than the one tasted last year, yet it's still fully mature and ready to go, and I see no reason to hold off.

The 1998 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues Cuvée Prestige achieved 15.64%, but the 1998 Mourvèdre battered all records as it came in at a whopping 15.8% natural alcohol. Of course, this wine would not merit its high score if it did not completely hide the lusty alcohol. One of the advantages of low yielding, concentrated Grenache is that it easily hides high alcohol. This full-bodied black beauty offers a terrific bouquet of licorice, blackberry, cassis liqueur, and a smoky, subtle dose of wood in the background. In the mouth, it is enormously endowed, very full-bodied and textured, exceptionally pure, with a creamy mid-palate, silky tannin, and a profound finish. Anticipated maturity 2003-2018.