French Wine between $50 and $75

Not surprisingly, here the nose is completely different with a very ripe nose of resin, yellow orchard fruit and earth nuances that is trimmed in a light touch of wood before exposing rich, delicious, powerful and mouth coating flavors that offer impressive depth and length for a villages level wine. This is well worth a look.

Tasting note: There is enough reduction present to all but completely mask what appears to be earthy yellow fruit underneath the funk. There is good intensity to the powerful large-scaled flavors that possess a distinct malic acid tang on the energetic finish. This seems to have the richness and mid-palate concentration to eventually stand up to the firm acid spine but for the moment, the acidity has the upper hand.

The 2010 Volnay Clos de la Barre is a huge, implosive wine loaded with fruit. This explosive Volnay bursts onto the palate with black cherries, tar, licorice, smoke and incense. The aromas and flavors take on a decidedly exotic quality as the wine sits in the glass. This is another wine with a bright future. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028.

An unusually pretty nose for a Nuits-Saint-Georges Drink-now delicious, with gorgeous framboise and cherry notes. I found it irresistible. –- Ben Giliberti

A smoky, fresh rosé, lightly chalky in texture, showing delicate flavors of crème de cassis, gumdrop, grilled plum and ground spice. Minerally finish. Drink now through 2018.

Vividly pink, like crushed strawberry, this exuberant wine is—as its name suggests—on the dry end of the spectrum. The acidity is dominant, but it is balanced and there are vivid red currant flavors, and a texture of tight fruit skins.