Daniel Lafitte’s estate near Maury was new to me this year, and I cannot say I yet have a fix on his style, since I found three of his wines really lovely and some others merely good. The Soulanes 2003 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Sarrat del Mas – from close to equal parts Syrah, Carignan, and Grenache, aged in barriques and demi-muids – smells of black raspberry jam, toasted walnuts, pralines, and pungent crushed stone. Creamy in texture, it finishes with subtle sweetness and discrete nuttiness, quite polished and refined overall, even though that is not the way I would have described a couple of other Soulanes releases that I tasted in the last nine months.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

The benchmark-setting 2002 Cotes du Roussillon-Villages Sarrat Del Mas is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Carignan from yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare harvested at 15% natural potential alcohol. This magnificent value will bowl over those who adore the aromatics of exquisitely ripened Grenache. Scents of sweet red cherries, candied raspberries, kirsch, and spices can be found in its nose. Medium to full-bodied, chunky, and muscle-bound, this inky effort possesses massive depth, power, concentration, and length. Freshly laid road tar, dark fruits, garrigue, and notes of jammy black cherries can be discerned in its complex core as well as in its immensely impressive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2012. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Peter Weygandt, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800