Fine Wine > Rhone > 92-95 Pts

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The blockbuster 2009 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Centenaire tastes more like a Chateauneuf du Pape than a Cotes du Rhone. Dominated by Grenache with a small amount of Syrah included in the blend, the wine possesses great intensity, a terrific texture, full-bodied power, and wonderful purity and..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The exceptional 2009 Crozes-Hermitage is one of the top wines of the vintage. A complex bouquet of black olives, licorice, ground beef, spring flowers and red and black currants soars from the glass of this 100% Syrah that is aged in 3-year-old barrels as well as larger foudres. With remarkable..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Domaine Grand Venuer's 2010 Lirac Clos de Sixte is outstanding. It is a full-bodied, rich, textural wine with abundant blue and black fruits interwoven with garrigue and licorice..."

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Alary’s top cuvee, the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cairanne Font d’Estevanas is a blend of equal parts old vine Grenache and Syrah, the latter planted in 1961, grown in the clay/limestone hillsides ... it is a fabulous unfiltered wine offering abundant notes of licorice, truffles, camphor, black..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Another blockbuster is the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau Cuvee Marc. Composed of 50% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre and 25% Syrah, this is a fabulous value from an increasingly promising appellation. A sumptuous bouquet of kirsch, licorice, chocolate fudge, blackberries and graphite emerges from..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The 2011 La Dame Rousse Tavel Rose, which is 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest equal parts Cinsault and the white grape Clairette. Full-bodied and substantial on the palate, with stunning notes of strawberry and kirsch intermixed with licorice, lavender and spring flowers, this is about as good..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The larger-scaled 2010 Crozes-Hermitage Le Rouvre offers a dense purple color followed by aromas of graphite, fruitcake, black currants and blackberries. This stunning, full-bodied, rich Crozes-Hermitage has a lot in common with the more serious wines from Hermitage...

Despite the name,..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
…exquisitely fragrant, ethereal nose of licorice, kirsch, sandy, loamy soil and spice box. The remarkable perfume and expansive texture are amazing… Grenache at its finest.

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"... loads of roasted Provencal herbs, sweet black cherry, black currants and black raspberries, beautiful purity, full-bodied texture and a long finish."

Cellar/Tasting Notes
Tightly wound, with a snappy edge to the pomegranate, red currant and red licorice flavors that have a taut chalky spine cutting through the middle. There's lots of briary, spice-filled grip on the finish.