A blend of 60% Carignan and 40% Grenache from 65 year old vines, this cuvee was aged in tank before being bottled unfiltered. A sexy, up-front, explosively fruity effort, it reveals lots of framboise, kirsch and cassis notes intermixed with floral and spice characteristics. The purity of the fruit, silkiness of the tannins and overall opulence suggest it should be drunk over the next 3-4 years.Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

Daniel Lafitte’s estate near Maury was new to me this year, and I cannot say I yet have a fix on his style, since I found three of his wines really lovely and some others merely good. But let’s accentuate the former. Lafitte’s 2005 Cuvee Jean Pull (named for the aged former owner of the parcel of old Grenache and Carignan – and not named “Cotes du Roussillon” because the crazy regulations require Syrah) smells of black raspberry jam and roasted beets. Dense yet bright on the palate, it displays undertones of stone, salt, and roasted meat to accompany its abundant sweet black fruit. Despite lots of tannin, the wine remains fundamentally sweetly, juicily fruity, with faint warmth and brown spices creeping into the finish. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800