2010 Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne La Brunote

The 2010 Cotes du Rhone la Brunote (60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan aged 12 months in demi-muids) is another outstanding effort. An opaque ruby/purple color is followed by lots of creme de cassis, kirsch, lavender, spice box and licorice notes. The wine is full-bodied, textured and long. It should drink well for a decade. Run by Denis Alary and increasingly his young son, Jean-Etienne, who is still a teenager, this estate produces some of the finest wines that emerge from the Cotes du Rhone village of Cairanne. All of these cuvees are priced under $25 a bottle, some of them in the mid-teens. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

The most dense and rich of the lineup, the 2010 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne La Brunote is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvedre (there’s a small amount of carignan as well) that is aged all in old foudre. Meaty, dense, and loaded with notions of smoked meats, black fruits, licorice, and crushed rock-like minerality, this classic Cairanne is full-bodied, pure, and tannic on the finish. It will reward 2-3 years of bottle age, and have upwards of a decade or more of prime drinking.

(made from 65% grenache, 25% syrah and 10% carignan): Deep ruby. Perfumed nose displays ripe dark berry and floral scents, along with peppery spices, smoky minerals and licorice. Broad and sappy in the mouth, with fresh cherry and blackberry flavors, supple texture and slow-building smokiness. Closes brisk and long, with lingering smokiness and a touch of candied lavender.