The 1994 red wines reviewed in this segment are all supple, silky, smooth-textured wines that are expressive, elegant, and already delicious to drink. 1994 appears to be a vintage where Graillot has produced intensely fragrant wines, as all of these offerings' bouquets exude aromas of pepper, black olives, cassis, and toast. Graillot's top cuvee, the 1994 Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color, followed by a big, sweet nose of herbs, cassis, licorice, and smoke. Round, lush, and medium to full-bodied, this is a fat, expressive, aromatic wine that should drink well for a decade. Alain Graillot has been the spiritual and qualitative leader of the new generation of young wine producers largely centered in the less prestigious appellations of St.-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. It is hard to believe Graillot's excellent debut vintage was 1985. He consistently produces some of the finest, most reasonably priced wines of the northern Rhone. His best two vintages to date are 1989 and 1990 (truly profound wines were produced here and elsewhere in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage). Graillot's 1994s are very fine, and his 1995s appear to be equally promising, perhaps superior. Importer: A Christopher Cannan Selection, Europvin USA, Watertown, MA; tel. (617) 924-7620