Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape (80% Grenache and the rest Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsault aged in cement) exhibits damp earth, smoky Provencal herb, pepper, kirsch and black curra...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Vivid ruby. Pungent aromas of red and dark berry skin, lavender and anise, with a spicy overtone. Blackberry and bitter cherry flavors show good depth and energy, with no ro...

Wine Spectator: Big and brawny, with lots of brambly tannins framing the blackberry and black currant fruit. Notes of fig, licorice and tar take over on the muscular finish. Long, driving fin...

Wine Spectator: This is saturated, with braised fig, melted black licorice and freshly brewed espresso notes forming the core, with bittersweet ganache, mesquite and iron notes weaving throug...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition exhibits elegant blueberry and black raspberry fruit, hints of burning charcoal and Provencal herbs, and good acidity in its full-bodied...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2003 Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet rouge shows notes of tar, scorched earth, herbs, black cherries, more rugged tannins, and a slightly drier, austere finish than th...

Wine Spectator: Juicy, with a racy feel to the linzer torte, blackberry and graphite notes all framed by gentle toasty spice. Not big, but nicely focused through the finish. Drink now through...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Deep red. Complex, spice-accented bouquet of cherry, dark berry and dried flowers, with a hint of anise emerging with air. Deeply pitched blackberry and bitter cherry flavor...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Deep red. Red and dark berries on the nose and in the mouth, with notes of smoke and herbs adding complexity. Sappy and spicy, augmented by good finishing clarity and excellen...

Wine Spectator: This delivers the ripe, plum, boysenberry and blueberry fruit profile of the vintage, with good underlying sweet toast and spice notes. Slightly raisiny on the finish, but the...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Bright ruby. A highly fragrant bouquet displays scents of red berries, dried rose and blood orange sustained by a subtle note of incense in the background. Spicy and taut on t...

About this Wine: Soil: clay and chalk, with characteristically rounded, huge stones.

Blend: Grenache is the dominant grape, followed by Syrah and Cinsault.

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: ($35) Deep red. Pungent, mineral-driven aromas of raspberry, blackcurrant, potpourri and cured meat. Sweet and supple on the palate, offering vivid red and dark berry flavors,...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2009 Rasteau Vieilles Vignes shows more powerful, masculinity, earthiness in a more rustic, rough-and-tumble style that will take several years to calm down in bottle, but...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: From the bottle, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape has lived up to its pre-bottle form. Composed of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre, Cinsault and other varietals, it...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The outrageously delicious 2009 Cotes du Ventoux Nadal (50% tank-aged Grenache from 70-year-old vines, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, both aged in barrel) boasts a dense purple ...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Opaque purple. Ripe dark berries and spices on the nose and palate. Deeply pitched, smoke-accented blackberry and cherry flavors are complicated by herbal and floral nuances...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape has oodles of black raspberry and kirsch notes intermixed with roasted Provencal herbs, licorice, and spice box. Medium to full bodied, dense, and...

Wine Spectator: A textbook version of the ripe, modern style, with a core of plum, linzer torte and black currant fruit backed by toasty spice and melted licorice note. A nice tug of roasted ...

About this Wine: Soil: sand and silt with fine clay  ...