In the same ball park, the 2012 St. Joseph is another delicious, textbook release from this producer. Game, leather, crushed rock and mulled red and black fruits all emerge from the glass, and this rock solid effort is medium-bodied, juicy and fresh, with solid overall balance and length. Enjoy it in its first 5-7 years or life. A collaboration between the Perrin Family, of Beaucastel, and Nicolas Jaboulet, of the Jaboulet family in the northern Rhone, this lineup is made mostly from purchased grapes (The Perrin’s own some of the vineyards in Crozes), with the wines made using Beaucastel barrels in the north, and blended at the Perrin Family winery in the south. They are all well-made, high quality efforts. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

The red wine offerings include the very fine 2010 St.-Joseph, which offers lots of black olive, raspberry and black cherry notes, a crushed rock-like component, medium body and refreshing acidity. This crunchy, tart St.-Joseph should drink well for 5-7 years. (Not yet released) This relatively new negociant operation combines two of the great families of the Rhone Valley, the Perrins in Chateauneuf du Pape and the Jaboulets in the northern Rhone. In this case, it is Nicolas Jaboulet working with the Perrins. Their objective is to produce high quality selections from major northern appellations. Launching a new brand in a difficult economic environment is always risky, but given the resources available to these two families, this should be a brand worth following. Their first releases were from challenging vintages such as 2006 and 2007, and they appear to be hitting their stride with the 2009s and 2010s. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

The bottled 2009s include the 2009 St.-Joseph, a softer wine with lots of jammy black cherry fruit intermixed with bouquet garni, damp earth and forest floor notes. Ripe, medium-bodied and seductive, it is best drunk over the next 5-6 years. This relatively new negociant operation combines two of the great families of the Rhone Valley, the Perrins in Chateauneuf du Pape and the Jaboulets in the northern Rhone. In this case, it is Nicolas Jaboulet working with the Perrins. Their objective is to produce high quality selections from major northern appellations. Launching a new brand in a difficult economic environment is always risky, but given the resources available to these two families, this should be a brand worth following. Their first releases were from challenging vintages such as 2006 and 2007, and they appear to be hitting their stride with the 2009s and 2010s.Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802