Penedes

92 Points! A terrific vintage for this wine, which was bottled just a couple of weeks prior to my late June visit, the 2021 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel is a blend of 30% each Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus 10% Cinsault. From a vineyard just outside the boundaries of the appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it's a remarkably consistent wine and always a solid value. Scents of sunbaked stones, black cherries and licorice appear on the nose, joined by hints of purple raspberries and dark chocolate, while the medium to full-bodied palate is lush and velvety, finishing long and complex. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

90 Points! Modern, lifted and a bit heady, but attractive and evocative. Black cherry inkiness segues into a dense palate where all the fruit is crammed into a structured body with drying tannins. Herbs and stones hemmed in by a firm grip. A good all rounder. - Decanter Magazine

90 Points! An impressive Cotes-du-Rhone with stacks of blackberry and black raspberry fruit wrapped around a core of moderately dry tannins on the bold palate. Long self-confidently dry finish. A cuvee of 50% syrah, 45% grenache and 5% mourvedre. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

Marsanne 85%, Roussanne 15% from 30-40 year-old vines in Le Paradis sur Mauves, La Ribaudy sur Chavanay and Rochecourbe sur St Pierre de Boeuf

92 Points! A step up, the 2021 Saint Joseph Le Lombard Blanc is more rounded and complete, with beautiful honeyed quince, spice, and dried herbs in a medium-bodied, round, supple package that's already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

A selection of the best parcels of Syrah near the town of Orange, the 2008 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Jules Rochebonne is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache where the Syrah is aged in oak barrels and the Grenache in vat. A dead ringer for a northern Rhône Syrah-based wine... - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! From a single parcel of 65-year-old vines, the 2017 Cairanne Col du Debat features subtle cinnamon and clove notes on the nose. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, with plenty of raspberry and cherry fruit, plus attractive resiny notes of rosemary and pine on the long finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

The 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Lieu-Dit Clavin is a pretty, elegant, medium-bodied effort that shows the classy style of this estate. More blue fruits, cherries, licorice, and peppery notes define the nose, and it has fine tannins and outstanding balance. It’s capable of evolving for a decade in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

Roussanne (40%), Grenache blanc (30%), Viognier (30%)

91-94 Points! In tank awaiting bottling at the time of my visit, Faury's 2020 Saint Joseph Blanc is the usual 60-40 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. Pear, melon and citrus notes abound on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, reasonably rich but balanced, with a lingering hint of citrus pith on the long finish. It looks to be a bit longer-lived than the broader, fatter 2019 version. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

A complex, concentrated single-vineyard selection of very old vine Syrah from the most prized plot in the village of Saint-Jean de Muzols, one of the original founding villages of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Bright red and juicy black fruit, lots of peppery spice, incense and licorice and soy … and a finish that goes on for what seems forever. A great wine for the cellar, if you can resist it today.