2011 Cornas les Grands Muriers

Another medium-bodied, classic example of its terroir, the 2011 Cornas Les Grands Muriers gives up textbook smoke, peppered meat, underbrush and black cherry and currant-styled fruit. Medium to full-bodied, rich and nicely textured, it will drink nicely for upwards of a decade. There are five lieu-dit releases in 2011. Across the board, this is a superb lineup of wines that delivers high quality at all price points. Run by the team at Chapoutier, headed by Pierre-Henri Morel, the wines are made by Damien Brisset. This was a large tasting and I've simply listed the wines in the order we went through them. Within a vintage, the wines are broken up into three categories, the traditional releases, the Lieu-Dit releases, and the selections parcellaires releases. The 2011s are slightly softer and more streamlined than the 2012s. As a whole, they offer charming, supple and more medium-bodied profiles that will reward earlier drinking. Looking at the traditional releases in 2011, these wines show classic, yet approachable and delicious characters. In most cases they represent good value. Importer: A French Paradox, Peoria, IL; tel. (309) 682-8994

Inky purple. Deeply pitched aromas of dark berry compote, licorice and smoky Indian spices. Becomes more animated with air, picking up a floral quality and showing gently sweet blackcurrant and cherry-cola flavors. Finishes smoky and long, with firm tannins adding shape and grip.