One of the darker wines of the vintage, its blend of 70% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache and 10% Syrah works well this year. Smoke, flowers, spice, meat, espresso, incense, and dark red fruits in the nose get even better on the...

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Impériale is just about all Grenache yet includes a mix of other permitted varieties, all raised in concrete. Playing in the medium-bodied, perfumed, elegant style of the vintage, this...

A savory, herbaceous and spicy Côte-Rôtie in a somewhat leaner style, yet this boasts a seductive textural purity, with all elements nicely meshed. Liberally dusted in white and black pepper, while a core of red fruit...

An elegant expression of Cornas, with real complexity. High-toned cherry and olive tapenade are laced with sweet bay leaf, lavender and earth. Well-managed tannins support the supple core of red fruit. Shows a refined...

An alluring red, with fresh boysenberry and black pepper-dusted plum flavors underscored by smoked bacon, charred cedar and mocha. Pure and polished, this is well-built and seductive. Drink now through 2030. - J.M.

Savory elegance and purity scream through amidst this red’s expressive ripeness and power. Enticing notes of fig paste, violet and plum are woven with singed bacon, brown bread, anise and salt. Warm spices and graphite...

There are two new demi-muids of the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum, pure Grenache grown on red clay soils, the only Grenache in the cellar that goes into wood for aging. Cedar and menthol notes accent black...

The 2021 Cornas Chaillot outperforms the rustic 2020 I tasted on the same occasion. Ripe black fruit, graphite, cedar, stemmy facets and peppery nuances are all amplified in the glass. Intense and expressive, the medium-...

Pronounced blood orange, black cherry jam, blackcurrant, dried violet, pencil shaving and cedar notes introduce the 2021 Cornas Reynard. Stemmy funk adds more complexity to the mix. Hitting the full-bodied palate with...