JebDunnuck.com

Leading off the wines from bottle, the 2016 Gigondas is a classic wine from this estate, offering a deeper ruby/purple color as well as tons of garrigue, peppery spice, and earth intermixed with ample red and black fruits. Polished, rounded and sexy, with sweet tannin, it has a modern style that won't appeal to traditionalists yet is beautifully done. The blend is 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest Cinsault.

Decanter

An impressively deep and inviting nose of crème de mure and violets, nicely defined. Full-bodied but not massive, it has a rounded mouthfeel and concentrated berry fruits with notes of sloe, menthol and woody herbs. A powerfully intense wine with a lovely sense of freshness and a polished mouthfeel, with a fine patina of dusty tannins. It will age to the medium term, but is more about joyful early drinking.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Hints of garrigue accent raspberries and Rainier cherries in the 2016 Gigondas. This blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault is full-bodied and supple, with no hard edges, just lovely fruit. Long, seamless and delicious for drinking over the next 6-7 years, it's a terrific introduction to the fruit-forward style at this estate. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

The Brechet family is a force in the Southern Rhône, with large properties in Châteauneuf du Pape (Château de Vaudieu) and in Gigondas at Domaine des Bosquets. Proprietor Julien Brechet is the grandson of Gabriel Meffre, founder of the firm that bears his name, and is the fifth generation in the region. At Bosquets, he's pursuing a parcel-by-parcel approach, vinifying pieces of the vineyard separately and then choosing to blend them (or not). From the 2016 vintage, there are four vineyard selections and a blended wine. Brechet pushes ripeness to the limit, and I would be remiss if I didn't point out the importance of serving temperature with these wines. Start them on the cool side, and let them gradually warm so that you don't miss the sweet spot, when they're at their most expressive without showing their alcohols (normally around 15%). I found many of these same wines too alcoholic last year, and I'm convinced that serving temperature played a huge role in that. With closer attention this year, the wines showed much better, both tasted blind at the Syndicat in Gigondas and at the estate. Finally, Brechet owns a hectare in Châteauneuf du Pape, and that wine is reviewed here as well.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

Made primarily from Grenache vines on average 50 years in age, this is intensely ripe but elegantly balanced. Flavors of ripe black cherry and raspberry are tinged with crushed stone and dried mint notes. Its soft, pliant mouthfeel is accentuated by ripe yet persistent tannins.