Starting out with the Hermitage releases, the 2011 Hermitage Blanc (100% Marsanne) is a beautiful effort that’s loaded with character. Buttered fruits, honey, crushed stone, vanilla and hints of brioche all flow from the glass, and it is medium to full-bodied, textured and yet also lively and fresh. Drink it over the coming decade. This was a rock star lineup by owner/winemaker Florent Viale. Covering roughly 13 hectares in Crozes Hermitage (mostly around the villages of Mercurol and Tain) and just under two hectares in Hermitage, the wines from this domaine see a traditional vinification followed by aging mostly in older demi-muids, with new oak kept to around 20% for most of the cuvees. The wines are classic, textbook examples of their appellations and should not be missed. The fact that they can represent good value is just icing on the cake. Importer: The Source, San Francisco, CA; Tel. (415) 621-6151 and Milton Road Trading, www.MiltonRoadTracking.com