The large-scaled 2009 Crozes-Hermitage offers abundant quantities of sweet black currant and cherry fruit intertwined with notions of licorice, barbecue smoke and black olives. Full-bodied and ripe, with velvety tannins and good concentration and length, this complex, powerful beauty should be drunk over the next decade. Proprietor Viale is one of the best in the northern Rhone, but for some reason, this estate remains under most consumers’ radar. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Warrenton, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228