The 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee is one of the stars of the vintage. Exhibiting a surprisingly deep purple color, it is a seductive, open-knit, precocious, sexy example with decent acidity, sumptuous fruit and delicious, mature flavors of roasted herbs, kirsch, black currants, raspberries, licorice and incense. This beauty should be one of the top wines of this less heralded vintage (which will undoubtedly have a difficult time in the marketplace coming after 2009 and 2010). 90-93 points

(80% grenache, 6% syrah, 4% mourvedre and the rest "everything else"): Deep ruby. Ripe black and blue fruit aromas are complicated by potpourri, incense and licorice, with a smoky topnote. Sappy, focused dark berry and bitter cherry flavors are sharpened by juicy acidity and show very good depth. Lots of fruit here but there`s good structure as well. Finishes sweet and long, with velvety tannins adding shape. As with the `12, there`s a degree of elegance to this wine and less of the wil d edge of the Pegaus of a few vintages back. 92 points