Gabriel Meffre Sainte Catherine Gigondas, 2012

I opened this bottle about nn hour before dinner, but I should have opened it sooner. It was showing its best near the end of the meal. Aeration has never been an issue for me in the past with Southern Rhone reds.

Medium ruby, significant bricking. Cherries, berries and spice emerge slowly over the course of the meal. Has the power and tannic grip to be expected from Gigondas, but the lifted rosemary and thyme traits that I find in my favorite Gidondas wines are late to arrive and a bit tired when they do. If you have bottles of this in your cellar, I would be inclined to drink sooner rather than later.