The modern styled 2015 Vacqueyras Seigneur de Lauris offers lots of vanilla and creamy licorice as well as sweet red fruits and spice, medium to full-bodied richness and a layered, ripe, sexy style that’s already hard to resist. The blend is 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah and it’s aged in foudre and a variety of different aged barrels. Drink this beauty over the coming 7-8 years.

The 2014 Vacqueyras Seigneur de Lauris is a step up over the Jean Marie Arnoux and offers a plump, rounded, lively style as well as classy notes of black raspberries, garrigue, dried violets and spice. Its tannin is ripe, it has good acidity and plenty of length, all suggesting it will drink nicely for 4-6 years.

More rich and substantial, the 2012 Vacqueyras Seigneur de Lauris is comprised of 70%Grenache and 30% Syrah, from vines over 50 years in age, which will spend 18 to 24 months in foudre (small part in 2-year-old barrels.) Rock-solid with its sweet cassis, raspberry, licorice and spice-box aromas and flavors, it flows onto the palate with medium-bodied richness, excellent mid-palate depth and outstanding length. It should drink nicely on release and evolve gracefully for 8-10 years. This large estate produces a bevy of rich, fruit-forward efforts that remain more than reasonably priced. Looking at the 2011s, this is a solid vintage here and the wines make the most of the vintage, with upfront fruit and texture. Importer: Grape Expectations, Raleigh, NC; tel. (919) 781-1655

In the same mold, the 2011 Vacqueyras Seigneur de Lauris (70% Grenache, 30% Syrah, partially destemmed and aged 18-24 months, mostly in foudre) is medium-bodied, deeply fruited and fleshes out nicely on the palate. It’s upfront, approachable and best enjoyed over the coming 4-5 years. This large estate produces a bevy of rich, fruit-forward efforts that remain more than reasonably priced. Looking at the 2011s, this is a solid vintage here and the wines make the most of the vintage, with upfront fruit and texture. Importer: Grape Expectations, Raleigh, NC; tel. (919) 781-1655

The straightforward, pleasant 2010 Vacqueyras Seigneur de Lauris (70% Grenache and 30% Syrah) is made in a more international style with the influence of barriques fully present. (Not yet released) With over 100 acres in Vacqueyras, this is a large estate making at least seven separate Vacqueyras cuvees. They all reveal a family style, and are consistently well made efforts although not among the finest in the appellation. Prices are very reasonable across the board except for their top cuvee, the 1717, which costs three times more than its siblings. Importer: Grape Expectations, Raleigh, NC ; tel. (919) 781-1655