Vinified in concrete and aging in a mix of demi-muids and amphorae, the 2020 Cotes du Rhone La Reserve is easily the equal of many Chateauneufs. A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, it offers up scents of rose petals, black tea, black cherries and red raspberries. Full-bodied, generous and rich, it finishes long and silky.

Dark and tarry at first, the powerhouse 2019 Cotes du Rhone La Reserve is a Grenache-Mourvèdre blend worthy of a few years in the cellar. Black cherries and black olives flow in a rich, velvety, full-bodied wave across the palate, finishing long and softly dusty. Hold it another couple of years and drink it over the following decade.

Showing some bricking in hue and scents of decay on the nose, the 2011 Cotes du Rhone La Reserve remains a smooth, silky, easy-to-drink effort, but it's clearly nearing the end of its useful life. Drink up.