NOTE: This wine is from the estate vineyard of Ann and Jean-Luc Colombo.The dense plum/purple-colored 1998 Cornas Les Ruchets offers notes of jammy cassis, smoke, earth, and minerals. The wine is velvety-textured, full-bodied, with relatively low acidity, and moderate tannin. Already accessible because of its fleshy mid-palate and sumptuous texture, it can be consumed now and over the next 15 years.Importer: Premiere Wine Merchants, New York, NY; tel. (212) 399-4200

Sensational. As velvety as Syrah gets. This royal beauty, thick in texture and full in body, is rich, ripe, clean and focused, with licorice, wet earth, black fruit, sweet tannins and gorgeous balance. Drink now through 2006. 1,100 cases made.??–PM??Region: France / Northern Rh?ne / Cornas Select to Add

A less successful vintage, the ’98 Les Ruchets shows some aged garnet color and more mature aromas of tobacco and dried cherries. Light in weight and cedary, this is ready to drink.——J.C.(4/1/2007)—— 87