4 | Wine | Rhone | Page 3

"Very fleshy and succulent, with dark fig and linzer torte flavors that show anise and blackberry hints. Ample toasted spice and singed alder notes fill in on the finish, and this has a lovely silky feel despite its weight."

"Deep colour with an attractive brilliance. Elegant and aromatic, with red fruits blended with spices. Well-structured on rounded tannins, with a final spicy note."

"The 2011 Cotes du Rhone Belleruche exhibits classic framboise notes, a light, vibrant, florescent pink color, excellent texture and a dry finish." -Robert Parker

"Potentially outstanding, the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages comes primarily from Grand Prebois as well as other vineyards in St.-Gervais, especially the Syrah component...it exhibits a dense ruby/purple hue along with deep blackberry and black cherry fruit intertwined with notions of licorice, garrigue and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity, freshness and precision." -Robert Parker

"The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Origines (1,500 cases produced) is a blend of 50% Grenache, a whopping 30% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah with the latter two components spending time in new oak barrels. All of the fruit comes from vines that are nearly 70 years of age. A great wine with an opaque ruby/purple color, sensational fruit intensity and notes of graphite, lavender, licorice, lead pencil shavings and subtle smoke, it is full-bodied, rich and powerful with low acidity and sweet, velvety tannins. It should drink well for 15+ years" - Robert Parker

"There is not a hard edge to be found in this silky Chateauneuf. ...The sexy, full-bodied, dense garnet-colored 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape reveals abundant aromas of kirsch, plums, figs and black fruits, a lavish texture, an opulent mouthfeel and a long finish."

"Two outstanding values from the Rhone include the basic, delicious 2010 Cotes du Rhone. It offers lots of black cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue, earth, lavender and pepper notes. Medium-bodied and surprisingly elegant with a supple texture, it is composed of generic Cotes du Rhone blended with declassified parcels owned by Saint-Gayan in both Sablet and Seguret. It should be consumed over the next 2-3 years." -Robert Parker

"The reasonably priced 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape is a slightly downsized version of the Secrets de Pignan. There is more Syrah in the blend and perhaps that is the reason for its spectrum of darker fruits than the Pignan. There is a lot to like here with copious floral notes intermixed with black currant and black cherry fruit as well as hints of sandy soils and balsam wood. Full, rich and very natural tasting, this beauty can be drunk now and over the next decade."