A brilliant offering (15.2% natural alcohol), the 2009 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cuvee des Galets, all from the renowned windswept Plan de Dieu northeast of Chateauneuf du Pape, exhibits notes of kirsch liqueur, loamy, sandy soil, underbrush, and pepper. This dense, medium to full-bodied, richly fruity wine builds incrementally in the mouth, revealing lots of glycerin in its complex, evolved, impressively endowed style. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. I have been following this estate for a decade and except for a few hiccups in 2002 and 2003, it has consistently turned out fine wines. Moreover, since Philippe Cambie was brought in as the consulting oenologist, it has become even more reliable. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Coatesville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800; fax (610) 486-6452

Abundant ripe fruit nose. Rich and supple with its power barely restrained. Ends on a solid, secure footing. Bristling with potential.