Exhibiting good minerality in its blackberry, ground peppery and crushed rock-driven aromas and flavors, the 2013 Vacqueyras Domaine Mas du Bouquet is medium-bodied, nicely concentrated and balanced, with good tannin in the finish. It should be a good to very good effort that will have 7-8 years of longevity.

Still in tank, the 2012 Vacqueyras Domaine Mas du Bouquet is a beauty, and could end up being outstanding. It exhibits lots of spice, garrigue, sappy flowers and sweet cherry and blackberry fruit on the nose. This is followed up by a medium-bodied, pure, elegant Vacqueyras that should shine on release, and drink nicely for 5-6 years.

From the Domaine Mas de Bouquet, the 2010 Vacqueyras boasts an opaque ruby/purple color, full body and lots of black fruit, garrigue, licorice, charcoal and spice box characteristics. It is another unctuously textured, thick, juicy, impeccably well made Vacqueyras to drink over the next 5-7 years. Vignerons de Charactere is a large cooperative that controls nearly 1,300 acres in Vacqueyras from many growers/domaines from which they bottle many of their single domaine wines. The quality is impeccably high as this is one of the best run coops in southern France. These cuvees range in price from a low of $20 to as much as $75, but most are in the $25 range. They are located on the road to Vaison La Romain north of Vacqueyras itself. The wines listed include all my favorite cuvees, and they all merit serious attention. Various American importers, including Importer: W. J. Deutsch and Sons, Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463; Ideal Wine & Spirits, Medford, MA, tel. (781) 395-3300; and Fruit of the Vines, New York, NY; tel. (212) 765-2970

Made from a traditional assemblage dominated by Grenache with some Syrah and Mourvedre, the 2009 Vacqueyras Domaine Mas du Bouquet reveals a dense purple color along with sweet blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with notes of licorice, Provencal herbs and pepper. Enjoy this soft, round, delicious 2009 over the next 5-6 years. (Not yet released) This is a well-run large cooperative in Vacqueyras that admirably displays the talent involved. I tasted a dozen separate cuvees from this operation and six of them were potentially outstanding. Most of the others were competent, correct wines. This huge cooperative controls over 1,100 acres in Vacqueyras, and the wines are realistically priced for such high quality. The following six wines should change the mind of anyone with an anti-cooperative prejudice. Importers: Fruit of the Vines, Long Island City, NY; tel. (718) 392-5640; and Vintner Select, Cincinnati, OH; tel. (800) 597-1491

The general style is one of fruity, good quality, commercially-styled wines that represent very good value, and are immediately appealing. All of the 2007s are fruit-laden, lush, and best drunk in their first 3-5 years of life. These wines are aged in tank prior to early bottling The sumptuous Domaine Le Mas du Bouquet, 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre, is aged in tank prior to early bottling I’ll keep my tasting notes brief as these are all well-made Vacqueyras that represent different blends, usually dominated by Grenache with various percentages of Syrah and Mourvedre added. Vinification tends to be traditional, with carbonic maceration employed for some cuvees. Importers: Fruit of the Vine, New York, NY, and Vintner Select, Cincinnati, OH; tel. (800) 597-1491