I also enjoyed the bargain-priced 2009 Cotes du Rhone-Villages. It reveals a dark ruby hue as well as plenty of Grenache character with its spice box, tobacco leaf, pepper, black cherry and garrigue notes. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and pure, it can be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. Saint-Siffrein’s gregarious, tall, lean proprietor, Claude Chastan, is a Jimmy Stewart look-alike. From his 35 acres of vines he has been producing very fine Chateauneuf du Papes over recent years. Various American importers, including J A O Wine Imports, McLean, VA; tel. (703) 848-2473; European Wine Import, Cleveland, OH; tel. (216) 426-0980, and Vintage Wine Marketing, Napa, CA; www.vintagewinemarketing.com