2012 Marcel Juge Cornas

(made with all whole clusters and no new oak): Ruby-red. Aromas of ripe red and dark berries, violet, peppery spices, smoked meat and leather. Sweet, gamy and penetrating, offering sappy raspberry, licorice, olive paste and floral pastille flavors and suggestions of raw beef and Indian spices. The meaty quality comes back on the persistent, smoke-tinged finish, which features dusty tannins and lingering spiciness. On the wild, rustic (read: bretty) and not-ready-for-prime-time side of the Rhône equation, and while I'm sometimes a fan of the style, this is definitely a wine for those with acquired or even jaded tastes.