Hints of mint accent black cherries on the nose of the 2020 Crozes Hermitage Courbis. It's medium to full-bodied, ripe and round on the palate, with a long, silky-textured finish. By far the best of the three cuvées from Pradelle this vintage, it's a solid effort and worth drinking over the next 6-7 years.

The 2019 Crozes Hermitage Courbis seems very much like the Les Hirondelles but with a coating of cedary oak applied. Whereas the Les Hirondelles matures exclusively in demi-muids and foudres, the Courbis includes 15% new barriques in the assemblage. That doesn't necessarily make a wine better, just different (and sometimes worse). Black cherries and blueberries are framed in toast and cedar, the full-bodied palate is reined in a bit by the wood, and those cedar notes return on the finish, providing length at the expense of fruit expression.

The top wine here is the 2016 Crozes Hermitage Courbis, of which 15% spent time in new oak barrels. It's riper tasting than the other cuvées, with dark notes of espresso, black olives and cherries but similarly supple tannins. This medium to full-bodied offering is mellow and easy to drink already, with a long, harmonious finish.

The best of the 2012s, the 2012 Crozes Hermitage Courbis offers rock solid black raspberry, spice-box, earth and assorted meaty notes to go with medium-bodied richness and depth on the palate. It too has some tannin sticking out, yet I like the overall balance and purity here more than in the other cuvees. It should drink nicely on release and hold for 7-8 years. This was a good, yet certainly not inspiring, lineup from this domaine. As a whole, the 2011s look to be marginally more successful than the 2012s. Importer: H. Mercer Wine & Spirits Imports, Los Angeles CA; tel. (213) 221-9799

The 2011 Crozes Hermitage Courbis gives up attractive notes of black cherry, earth, bouquet garni and hints of minerality, medium-bodied richness and juicy acidity. It too is a delicious, easygoing wine to drink over the coming 4-5 years or so. This was a good, yet certainly not inspiring, lineup from this domaine. As a whole, the 2011s look to be marginally more successful than the 2012s. Importer: H. Mercer Wine & Spirits Imports, Los Angeles CA; tel. (213) 221-9799