The dense ruby/purple-colored 2001 Cuvee Prestige (58% Syrah and 42% Grenache) possesses Cote Rotie-like flavors of violets, creme de cassis, licorice, and spice box, medium to full body, a beautifully pure flavor profile, an enticing texture, and a long, 30-second finish. This terrific offering tastes like it should cost 2-3 times the price. This is one of the few inexpensive Robert Kacher selections that actually spends time in barrel, in this case, 50% in new oak and 50% in one and two year old barrels for 13 months prior to bottling. It’s a beauty!Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

A serious effort, the 1999 Costieres de Nimes Cuvee Prestige is a dense, chewy, deep ruby/purple-colored wine revealing abundant quantities of blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with licorice. Beefy and big, with a supple texture and admirable finish, it should drink well for 7-8 years.Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel (540) 722-9228

When Chateau de Campuget's 1998 Syrah was presented for tasting, its final label and name was undecided. Crafted from 100% Syrah harvested at 30 hectoliters per hectare and aged entirely in new oak barrels, this saturated, dark ruby-colored wine reveals black raspberry, blackberry, and tar-like aromas. It is highly extracted, well-structured, and tight. Chewy black fruits, leather, and asphalt are found in this sur-maturite-laced and admirably long wine. Regrettably, only 100 cases were produced. Anticipated maturity: now-2005. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; (202) 832-9083.

This wine, a 50% Syrah/50% Grenache blend, made from the estate's oldest vines (and the only Campuget to be aged in cask, of which 50% are new), is a gorgeous $10 bottle of wine. It exhibits an evolved plum color, and distinctive aromas of prunes, plums, and blackberry liqueur. In the mouth, the 50% new oak has been totally soaked up by the wine's thickness, richness, and density. Unfortunately, only 800 cases are imported of this limited production gem. It is a complex wine that will offer outstanding drinking now, and over the next 3-5 years.This wine may be even better than my point score. Chateau de Campuget is one of the stars of the up and coming appellation of Costieres de Nimes. This wine, tank-fermented and aged, is exciting because of its wonderfully pure fruit, texture, and purity.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

This fine estate in the heart of sunny Provence has consistently impressed me with the quality of its wines. The 1993 Costieres de Nimes Cuvee Prestige (a blend of Syrah and Grenache from 50-year old Grenache vines, 50% aged in new oak casks and 50% aged in tank) is an immensely impressive, full-bodied wine, as well as an outstanding bargain. The rich, pure, peppery, black-raspberry, chocolatey, cassis-scented nose is followed by a wine with fleshy, beautifully concentrated flavors, no hard edges, and a voluptuously rich, long finish. This is a supple, up-front style of red wine that is sure to please consumers who love the sun-drenched red wines of southern France. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083