The least expensive offerings include the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages, a Grenache-based wine revealing delicious up-front strawberry and black cherry fruit intertwined with roasted herb and sandy, loamy soil undertones. With a full-bodied, luscious, opulent mouthfeel, it can be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. I have written favorably about this estate (which also has some vines in Chateauneuf du Pape) over the last decade. Importer: Europvin (Christopher Cannan) Bordeaux, France; tel. 011 33 5 57 87 43 21; fax 011 33 5 57 87 43 22

A sleeper of the vintage, the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages reveals abundant raspberry, kirsch, licorice and loamy soil notes. Bigger and richer than its sibling, it should age well for 4-5 years. With 25 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape and even more acreage in surrounding Cotes du Rhone areas, this exceptionally well run estate has been producing high quality wines under the Bonnet family regime for at least a decade. The three 2010 Cotes du Rhones I tasted all merit consideration. The 2009 Chateauneuf du Papes are largely drinkable, with the exception of Les Hesperides.Importers: Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476; Vigneron Imports, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 530-1616; Oslo Enterprise LLC, Takoma Park, MD; tel. (301) 326-2056