This terroir always delivers a wild, opulent, gamey style of wine, and the 2017 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert doesn’t disappoint. Loads of chocolaty black fruits, ground pepper, truffle, and smoked game, as well...

From Caroline Frey, also of Bordeaux’s Château La Lagune, this has a savoury nose and a lively blackcurrant and berry palate boasting black pepper spiciness. Serious, but smooth and supple, and ever so easy to drink.

(94 - 96)Complex aromas of tar, black olive, saucisson sec, violets, tea and blackberries mark the nose of the 2017 Cote Rotie Domaine des Pierrelles. Wow! This is the first time I can recall being blown away by this...

I love the wines of this estate, and the 2017 Cornas Terre Brûlée is about as classic as it gets. Killer notes of wild herbs, iron, smoked earth, liquid violets, and bloody blue fruits all emerge from this medium to...

(95+ points) The 2017 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers is a wild beauty with Hermitage notes of blackberries, cassis, crushed rock, game, and burning embers. It has plenty of upfront, sexy fruit yet is concentrated...

(95 - 97 points) In tank and awaiting bottling when I tasted it, the 2017 Cote Rotie la Landonne has smoothed out and added complexity in the past year. It now shows classic savory, meaty, la Landonne character and plenty...

98+ More bloody meat, black raspberries, wood smoke, spice, and truffle notes emerge from the 2017 Hermitage Le Méal, a massive, opulent effort that has loads of opulence and fruit, building tannins, a gorgeous...

Archetypal Les Bessards, the Delas 2017 Hermitage Les Bessards boasts rich, deep cassis fruit accented by hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings. It's full-bodied, ripe yet firm, with great energy, freshness and...

Such deep, plum-essence and licorice aromas here with cassis and blackcurrant pastille on offer. The palate has a very succulent and gently grainy tannin core, as well as plums and ripe blackberries to close. Drink or hold.

From a higher, east-facing vineyard, the 2017 Saint-Joseph Le Clos is almost black and is the most concentrated, powerful Saint Joseph in the vintage. Blackcurrants, cassis, kirsch, ground herbs, beef blood, burning...

The 2017 Hermitage Les Dionnières is more deep, structured, and serious, with killer notes of crème de cassis, graphite, ground pepper, and inky notes. Rich, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and with both tannins...