The 2007 Cotes du Rhone Roc-Epine is bursting with black cherry fruit in addition to hints of roasted Provencal herbs, meat juice, and spice. Fair prices and exuberant fruit make it easy for Domaine Lafond’s wines to attract fans. Whether it be their exquisite Tavel rose, their delicious Cotes du Rhones, or their most ambitious wines, the Chateauneuf du Papes, all are noteworthy efforts. These are wines best drunk in their flamboyant youth, and in the case of the Chateauneuf du Papes, in their first decade. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

A super value, Lafond’s 2007 Cotes-du-Rhone bursts with fruit. Bright, bold waves of black cherries laze across the palate, accented by hints of dried spices and herbs. Drink now–2012.——J.C.(12/15/2009)—— 89