The dense ruby/purple-colored 2009 Crozes-Hermitage possesses elegant, sweet black cherry and licorice notes intermixed with roasted herb and bouquet garni characteristics, good purity, medium to full body, and abundant fruit presented in a front end-loaded, soft yet complex style. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. One of the three Chaves making outstanding wines in the northern Rhone, Yann Chave’s cellars are on the outskirts of Tain l’Hermitage, next to the entrance to the famed Autoroute du Soleil.Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

What a nose! Young, but Rhone through-and-through, showcasing violets, iodine and black pepper-rubbed meaty aromas. It has a big personality and the palate makes as much of an impression as the nose, with its high-toned, ink-tinged purple fruit, and shakes of white pepper. £14