We aimed for maximum drinkability: plenty of hedonistic purple-tinged fruit, along with a hint of wild herbs and lovely lavender and violet notes.

Deep, concentrated, and refreshingly saline, this is like great Cornas with Mediterranean influences.

Leydiers at Domaine de Durban are particularly proud of their Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, a vin doux naturel, as they are among the last to craft it in the traditional style.

Violets and dark berries dominate the palate, with a pleasant wild side lurking below the surface.

A relatively rare beast, Serge’s blanc is a ripe, honey-infused cornucopia of fruit.

The Férigoules have honed a unique style of Vacqueyras that mixes deep, dark color with a lightness of touch, rusticity with warmth, and minerality with delicious fresh fruit.

The flavors are mostly deep and dark—stones, licorice, black olive, and blackberry—but the frame is lithe.

Les Racines has a deep core of dark berry fruits, notes of licorice, or réglisse, and a concentrated texture that conveys power with silkiness.

It is important to remember the heights that old-vine Grenache can reach when planted on arid, stony plateaus in the shadows of Mount Ventoux.

The palate is dense and ripe, yet wonderfully smooth and elegant. Racines seems to tap into the history of Les Pallières, the prestige and the high-toned elegance.