Another wine sold to me on the basis of a heap of "points," this time from Mr. Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (hard to believe how easily I will relinquish $15 just to get a salesperson off my back...). At first, the wine suffers from an alarming mutism. All comonents of a decent Gigondas are there, but give up diddley-squat. Fortunately, after about an hour of air, the wine starts to yield... A rustic nose of bitter chocolate, cured meat, thyme, lavender, blackcurrant and dried cranberry. Meaty and very ripe in the mouth, with very vigorous, but rather bumbling, tannins and a touch of alcoholic heat. Compact and with medium acidity. Judgment deferred. This needs a few years, I think.