The 2005 Cotes du Rhone Samoren is straightforward, with herbal black cherry and currant fruit notes and hints of earth and spice. When I review the northern Rhone selections form Ferraton (in a future issue), readers will see that these wines, made by Michel Chapoutier and his staff, have jumped dramatically in quality over the last several years. The southern Rhone selections lag behind in quality, but these five wines are all pleasant.