Gigondas les Racines Domaine les Pallieres 2016 (750ML)

96 Points, Zachys Buying Team: "The 99-point 2016 Southern Rhône vintage delivers once again. From high altitudes and ancient vines, some nearing 100 years old, on limestone covered soils, the Les Racines (meaning roots) from Domaine Les Pallières remains one of our most exciting Gigondas finds in years. We love the cool-climate, limestone expression from this Northern Gigondas terroir. The 2016, showing more red fruit in this vintage, is dominated by grenache, with some syrah, cinsault and clairette; there is pure and vibrant red and black fruit combined with textured minerality and a fresh and lifted finish. Cheers to the Brunier brothers and Kermit Lynch for resurrecting this ancient, once neglected estate in the Southern Rhône." 11/19

94-96 Points, Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2016 Gigondas Les Racines was in its foudres at the time of my visit, but I still think it is the equal of the Brunier family's Châteauneufs. Full-bodied and rich but silky and almost lacy in texture, it marries raspberries and apricots with lovely herbal nuances and a lingering finish. It's a tremendous Gigondas, made from 75-year-old vines (80% Grenache)." 8/18

96 Points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com: "Very complete and complex wine that has intensity and elegance. Raspberry and rose-like perfume, this has a long, red-fruit core with dark spices wrapped deep into the heart of the palate. Detailed texture, the noble, long tannins cloaked in wild, red plums and berries. Terrific freshness here. Wow. Drink or hold." 1/19

96 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com: "The old vines cuvee is the 2016 Gigondas Les Racines and comes from the oldest vines of the estate located around the domaine. The soils here lie around 200-300 feet in elevation and are a mix of broken limestone and clay, and the resulting wine is always blacker fruited, dense, and concentrated. Blackcurrants, black olives, exotic spices, and crushed rock notes all flow to a powerful, concentrated, tannic Gigondas that has remarkable purity and elegance. It shows the balance and freshness, as well as richness, that makes this vintage so compelling, and while it needs 2-3 years of bottle age, it's a profound, sensationally complex, layered wine readers shouldn't miss!" 9/18