Psst! A Great, Unknown French Wine

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A gorgeous deep ruby/purple, nearly black color as well as a fabulous nose of cassis, charcoal, garrigue, licorice, and pepper are followed by an intense, multilayered wine oozing with fruit, extract, and wonderfully sweet, velvety tannins. This superb Vacqueyras should drink well for 10 to 12 years. Don't miss it! $32

92 points

Domaine La Fourmone 2005 Vacqueyras Cep d'Or

From a selection of old vines, the 2005 Vacqueyras Cep d'Or is mostly grenache with a small quantity of mourvèdre. One of the finest 2005s I've tasted, aromas of blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, charcoal, and roasted herbs soar from the glass of this dense purple-colored wine. Full-bodied and luscious, with sweet tannin as well as good acidity, this fleshy, succulent red is ideal for drinking over the next 10 to 12 years. $29

92 points

Domaine La Garrigue 2005 Vacqueyras La Cantarelle

This estate's luxury cuvée, the 2005 La Garrigue Cantarelle (75% grenache from a single parcel of 100-year-old vines and 25% syrah) is sensational. It might need another year of bottle age, but it is an incredibly generous, savory wine with classic crème de cassis, scorched earth, roasted herbs, and licorice in the aromatics. Full-bodied and concentrated, with silky tannins and relatively lofty alcohol, this is a heady, full-bodied, quintessentially Provençal wine to drink over the next 10 to 15 years. $40

92 points

Montirius 2005 Vacqueyras Garrigues

This is the finest cuvée I have tasted from this producer, who owns 80-plus acres in Vacqueyras. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Vacqueyras Garrigues is a blend of 70% grenache and 30% syrah. It possesses copious aromas of crème de cassis, blackberries, truffles, and charcoal, beautiful purity, a multilayered mouthfeel, and a powerful, smooth finish. Drink it over the next 8 to 10 years. $35

93 points

Sang des Cailloux 2005 Vacqueyras Cuvée de Lopy

One of the great Vacqueyras of the vintage is Sang des Cailloux' 2005 Vacqueyras Cuvée du Lopy. A blend of 75% grenache and 25% syrah, all from 40- to 50-plus-year-old vines, this wine has a wonderfully smoky, earthy nose of truffle juice, blackberries, cherries, meats, forest floor, flowers, and Provençal herbs. Deep, sumptuous, rich, and dense, with moderately high but sweet tannin, this is a sensational Vacqueyras to drink over the next 10 to 15 years. $42

Robert Parker is the world's most influential wine critic. Visit www.eRobertParker.com to see tens of thousands of tasting notes, buy his books, or subscribe to his newsletter, The Wine Advocate.