Walls: The magic of mature Gigondas

Remarkably dark in colour in the glass. Distinctly meaty on the nose, with some deep-set herbal notes. There's a touch of volatility on the nose that reminds me of old Madeira. This follows through onto the palate, with a great rising up of tannins which it still needs time to temper. They're grainy, textural and a little raw. Some might think the wine lacks refinement due to this, but I think it accentuates its character and terroir. A deep, meaty, roaring Gigondas with an almost Bovril-like quality. The oldest vines of the estate from a variety of different parcels, this cuvée has since been discontinued.

I love the nose - it's doing exactly what you would expect mature Gigondas to do, with curls of blackberry, sweet earth and an underlying balsamic note. A touch of iodine, liquorice and menthol appear with time, and it then becomes meatier. It still has a certain fatness to it on the palate, a cooling glycerol sensation. The acidity is low, but somehow it works. Some gentle wet-clay tannins on the end. There is still sap, but this will represent perfect maturity now for many wine lovers. Harmonious and balanced with an underlying freshness. I don't think this will improve much more, but neither will it fall apart any time soon. A very classic example.

Whilst this is distinctly funky on the nose, there's a touch of sweetness on the palate, as well as spice and smoke characters. Giving the impression of being alive, it’s upright in stature, with a flinty edge to the aromatics and a balsamic touch. Medium-bodied in the mouth with a little knot of tannic thrust on the tongue which I love. There's much to enjoy about this wine, but it might not appeal to those who dislike horsey, barnyard aromas. This is from pre-phylloxera Grenache vines grown on sandy soils.

Interestingly this is darker than some Gigondas of this age; there's flecks of a dark plum colour amongst the brick red. Polished antique wood and plum skin dominate the aromas. Depth and concentration still exist on the palate, and the richness and potency of the vintage has helped sustain it. With remarkable length for its age, it leaves some dry, fine-grained tannins on the tip of your tongue along with some silky glycerol. This is coming to the end of its life but is still delivering pleasure; it’s an old wine now. The grapes are from north-west facing vineyards at 350m and were not destemmed. Fermented in concrete, it was then aged in used Burgundy barrels and concrete. Unfined and unfiltered.

A pale brick red in colour. The aroma is quite faint on opening; some high-toned spice notes dominate over a gently woody, but not oaky, character. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, dry and the acidity is the overriding sensation, with fruit and tannin having largely dropped away. Combined with the salinity on the palate, it retains a sense of freshness, but this has passed its peak now. Drink up, within the next few years.

What a wonderful nose, wow! Still packed with fruit and great clarity of aroma: sweet earth, mint, menthol, blackberry jam. So complex! Juicy and rounded on the palate, it’s beautifully smooth with no dryness, showing sweet, fluid fruit. Now is the perfect stage to drink this because it is so explosively open, so ready and alive. A revelation and a great wine.

The colour is deep and vibrant. Noticeably gamey on the nose, this has lots of aromatic interest: earth, meat, and spice. Deep and generous on the palate with plenty of fruit and a satisfying tannic weft. It is fully mature, and the fruit is drying out slightly, but it still offers freshness, intensity and pleasure on the nose and the palate. Drink up, but there’s no great hurry.

A heavily oxidative, slightly vinegary aroma with a deeply ferrous tang, like blood. It’s very meaty; think of roasted meats and black pudding. The palate is full-bodied, with flavours of balsamic, herbal bitters, and some dank, slightly rotten fruits. There's still grip and driving acidity, and it's powerfully flavoured. As it starts to take on some old Madeira notes it is feeling very old, but it’s not dead and not without interest, especially on the palate. Intellectual interest is what keeps it going. For those unfamiliar with mature wines, it might not be the most pleasurable, but there’s no denying that it delivers physical impact.

A beautiful nose, the true definition of autumn and all its mellow fruitfulness. Some polished wood and subtle vanilla pod notes back up the tarry, sticky, reduced black fruits, like picking around the edges of the crumble dish. Generous but not overly full-bodied on the palate, meaning it is remarkably fresh and defined with deep-set acidity and gently sweet, ripe fruit. The finish is dry, but not drying. A wine standing proudly at the end of its life, but it won't fall apart any time soon. It has all the cool freshness and straightness of the vintage.

An intriguing blend of meaty, earthy and spicy aromas with a definite lingering freshness. In the mouth it’s full-bodied, powerful and driving. Concentrated and deeply ingrained star anise and cumin meld into dried biltong meat. A touch of marmite and reduced beef stock appear too. Well-balanced with good acidity and a fair whack of grippy tannin. A meal in a glass. It’s time to drink up though. Interestingly, Pierre Amadieu says this was the first Gigondas to contain such a large proportion of Mourvèdre.

Strong notes of soy come through on the nose and, having moved past the fruit phase, this is showing touches of polished wood and, specifically, antique shops. On the palate, however, this is soft, and remarkably sumptuous for such an old Gigondas, like sinking back into an old leather armchair. The tannins still have a little juicy succulence and the texture is gently unctuous. The key point is that this wine is still harmonious, well-balanced, fresh and juicy

Dank and gamey aromas with notes of extinguished bonfires. It is fresher on the palate than the nose would suggest, with a mass of slightly stringy tannins and some stewed dark fruits. The strong earthy, gamey note persists on the moderately long finish. The alcohol is raised but not out of balance. All in all, this is powerful, rolling and feels very mature. No doubt it will be too old for some tastes, but this isn't over the hill yet so drink now. Jean-Michel Vache, who runs the property, noted that the 1998 was ‘a great, sunny vintage’.

On the back label it states: 'Ages wonderfully from 8 to 10 years’. And the rest! Still a good ruby colour. There are some barnyard aromas coming through, along with some old wood. A ferrous tang emerges with time. Fine, smooth and juicy, the palate is fresher than the nose. The acidity is quite marked and not entirely harmonious, but otherwise the balance and length are good. Despite its age it has an upswell of power on the palate. Having aged remarkably well, it is certainly time to drink it up now.

Strong farmyard notes on the nose, leading onto a soft and succulent palate. Vibrant, well integrated acidity gives plenty of intensity and tension. Piercing and alive on the palate, with remarkable salinity. Admittedly the intense barnyard element on the nose is distracting, and won't be to everyone's taste, but the effect on the palate is electric. Of the 1998 vintage Jean-Baptiste Meunier commented, ‘We had a beautiful growing season. We now miss those warm, dry summers, with two or three generous showers that seemed to occur exactly when needed, before the vines struggle too much".

Powerful, intense, deep and succulent, this has aged incredibly well. Even the colour is vibrant. Harmonious, soft and gentle with the leathery characters one expects from such an age. Leaf tea and tobacco aromas. The salinity on the palate helps deliver a sense of freshness. It is not excessively gamey or earthy, and there is some plummy succulence here, proving that it is well-balanced and harmonious. One of the few very old Gigondas wines I'd want to drink glassfuls of.

Unlike many of the wines tasted in a line-up of mature Gigondas from before 2001, this 1995 still has some fruit and subtle berry aromas. It remains very fine on the palate, with marked acidity. This has lasted very well indeed. It both tastes and smells like an antique, but it's not over the hill just yet. Some mushroom and leather linger on the nose and bring the complexity of age. It has great finesse, and just enough silk on the palate to deliver pleasure.

The back label reads: 'It will unveil its class, today, tomorrow, and no doubt in several years to come'. It certainly will. Starting with intense meat stock and Bovril notes, these evolve into old wood, reminiscent of old Madeira. Softness runs through the palate, with a memory of blackcurrant and vibrant acidity that helps deliver some length. It is still powerful and intense, and excellent work for a co-operative in the 1990s! But time to drink up, as it is becoming old and won’t deliver much pleasure for much longer. The grapes were from old vines that were hand harvested, of which 80% is Grenache, plus some Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. It saw a long vinification period, followed by 15 months in foudres.

Considering its age this is still remarkably deep in colour. The nose is starting to take on some seaweed notes along with fresh peat, rolling tobacco, prune, sandalwood and star anise. Garrigue herbs make an appearance here too - this is a very complex wine. There's a sense of sweet fruitiness on the palate, but it’s more about dates than strawberries, and pomegranate molasses. The alcohol is starting to show a little, but no doubt it has served the wine well in its journey. Some powdery tannins create a little structure, and it's impressively long. This is still going strong. If it's made it this far, I wouldn't be surprised if it is still going in 10 years time. A great vintage in quantity and quality. The grapes were hand-picked and not destemmed, and the wine was not fined or filtered.