1 | Wine | France, Rhone Misc, $50 to $100

"Vivid ruby. Textbook syrah aromas of cherry, dark berries, smoked meat and violet, with a mineral note adding vibrancy. Juicy and well-defined on the palate, offering fresh blackberry and bitter cherry flavors that expand on the back end. Finishes sweet and very long, with resonating floral and spice notes and impressive energy."

"High-pitched, expressive aromas of raspberry, red licorice, spice cake and violet. Silky and perfumed in the mouth, with a suave texture and appealing sweetness to flavors of raspberry, strawberry liqueur and blood orange. Very pure and precise, finishing with silky tannins and noteworthy verve."

"As for the negociant northern Rhone selections, the dense purple-hued 2009 Cote Rotie reveals lots of black olive, bacon fat, black raspberry and blackberry fruit notes intertwined with hints of charcoal and underbrush." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"The 2007 Cote Rotie, an outstanding success in this vintage where this estate harvested extremely late in order to take advantage of the Indian Summer weather. The wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as scents of licorice, subtle oak, black currants, black cherries and hints of underbrush/forest floor. Spicy, opulent, voluptuous and flamboyant, it should continue to provide plenty of pleasure for a dozen years or more." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"The 2010 Cornas Renaissance may be the finest example of the cuvee I have yet tasted. This offering represents about one-third of the Clape production and tends to come from two well-known sites in the natural amphitheater of Cornas, Les Sabarottes and Geynale. This astonishing 2010 boasts a black/purple color along with gorgeous, explosive aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits and spring flowers, a full-bodied, layered texture and superb intensity. Very pure with sweet tannin, it was bottled unfiltered after 22 months in primarily foudre, and should drink well for two decades." -Robert Parker

"Intensely perfumed, sexy bouquet of wild strawberry, raspberry, kirsch, Asian spices and potpourri. Suave, silky red berry flavors display liqueur-like depth and are nicely framed by fine-grained tannins. A sneaky note of licorice builds and carries through the long, sweet finish of this precise wine."

"Deep, youthfully brooding aromas of cassis, cherry compote, plum, olive tapenade, roasted coffee and burning incense. Dense and sappy in the mouth, displaying sweet black raspberry and cherry pit qualities, with chewy tannins adding grip and gaining power with air. Really takes over the palate, eventually finishing with superb sweet length and a bitter cherry bite."

"Vivid purple. Pungent, spice- and floral-accented aromas of black and blue fruits and licorice, with a peppery topnote. Sappy, incisive and pure, offering intense black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that put on weight in the glass. Shows excellent clarity and power on the finish, which features silky tannins and zesty minerality."