Domaine Paillère & Pied-Gu Gigondas 2003

Rhône, France, £11.10, cork seal
Heathrow airport isn't particularly known as a place to by wine, but a bit of spare time before I bordered CX254 to Hong Kong meant I stepped on the plane with a quite a few clinking bottles; this was one. I couldn't discover much about this particular wine or producer, though I'd assume it's a Grenache and Syrah based blend.

It's a rather fetching bright crimson colour. The nose is full of interest and flavour; but dominated by the big meaty smell of smoked bacon. There's also an aroma of spice, especially cinnamon and some of that sweet red stuff they try and pass of as liquorice. It's a medium bodied wine with flavours of plum and raspberries. As it opened up in the decanter elegant and restrained tannins emerged that added an extra dimension of class. If I had to be critical I'd say the palate didn't quite live up to the nose; it lacked a little length and complexity, but I still really enjoyed it. Domaine Paillère & Pied-Gu Gigondas 2003 is deliciously fragrant, interesting and food friendly wine that I could happily drink on a regular basis.