Jean-Luc Colombo : Terres Brûlées 2011

Amiable, balanced, easy to drink, precisely crafted; an ideal table wine (in the best sense of the term), to enjoy over the next four to five years.

Features a juicy edge, with bramble and anise notes lining the core of plum, red currant and raspberry fruit. Enticing spice details and a flicker of bay move through the finish. Best from 2015 through 2025. 2,020 cases made.

Blend of up to 20 parcels of low-yielding vines – aged 20–60 years – grown on granite. Hand harvested, three-week maceration. Oak barrels for 18 months (half new oak). Smells less ripe than the Ruchets, more red-fruited and fragrant. Lithe, with attractively dry tannins. Fresh, both elegant and seductive. Mouthwatering finish. May not be the longest-lived of the Colombo Cornas but offers the most refreshment and pleasure. (JH)

(made from fruit grown in 20 different plots): Inky ruby. Powerful aromas of blueberry, blackberry, woodsmoke and peppery spices. The palate offers energetic flavors of fresh dark berries, black pepper and candied violet, with a hint of olive in the background. Rich yet graceful and focused, with a smoky, floral finish and supple, even tannins.

Well-defined on the nose, very clean, mineral, smoky, excellent tannin quality, more approachable than Ruchots.

Dried spices, cracked pepper and roasted meat notes scream of Syrah and the Northern Rhône. It's medium to full in body, but with fine tannins and bright acidity, making it remarkably easy to drink. Approachable now, it should still be drinking well through 2030.