Much better than the Cotes du Ventoux for a slightly higher price is the 2005 Cotes du Rhone, which shows peppery, black cherry notes, medium body, good acidity, and spice. Moving up in price and quality, there are two cuvees of Gigondas. These are the personal selections of Burgundy wine broker Alain Corcia. All of the wines are blends from top estates put together by Corcia, an accomplished taster as well as blender, and then aged either in foudres or in smaller barriques and bottled with very little clarification. Since he has a distribution system that directly imports from him without any middle men, prices are modest.An Alain Corcia Selection, various American importers, including Premier Wines, CA; tel. (510) 237-6284, and Calvert Woodley Wines, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966-4400