From low-yielding old vines, Ferraton's 2019 Cornas Lieu-Dit Patou is richer and more velvety than the Les Eygats bottling. Crushed stone accents cassis on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is plush and ripe, with a slightly jammy finish that seems to lack the complexity of the past couple of vintages.

The inky but vibrant-hued 2018 Cornas Lieu-Dit Patou boasts surprisingly elegant aromas of licorice, peppery herbs and cassis, while on the full-bodied palate, it adds hints of broil-roasted beef and black olives. Concentrated and richly textured, it finishes with ripe tannins that leave behind a sensation of crushed stone and dusty back roads. It should be a bit softer in two or three years and drink well for at least a decade after that.

The 2017 Cornas Lieu-Dit Patou looks to be a carbon copy of the 2016, with just a touch more precision in its notes of crushed stone, beef blood, cassis and raspberries. It's similarly full-bodied, rich and tannic, with a long, velvety finish that bodes well for the future.

I appear to have underestimated the 2016 Cornas Lieu-Dit Patou when I tasted it last year. It looks terrific now from bottle, with peppery smoked meat aromas and plenty of dark fruit. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it's a beauty to drink over the next decade or so.