The estate has also made strides with their St Joseph. Probably the finest version of the cuvée I’ve tasted, the 400-case 2015 Saint Joseph les Vinsonnes (mostly destemmed and aged 18 months in barrel) offers sumptuous notes of violets, black pepper, mint and hints of blue fruits. Elegant on the palate, with beautiful length and purity, it's a high-class wine.

A beautiful wine, the 2014 Saint Joseph les Vinsonnes gives up terrific notes of cassis, blackberries, peppery herbs and hints of barrique in its medium-bodied, nicely textured, supple and impeccably balanced profile. It has more fruit and depth than most in the vintage, shines for its purity of fruit, and will keep through 2024.

Like the C?tes du Rh?ne, the 2012 Saint Joseph Les Vinsonnes is outstanding. Partially destemmed and aged 18 months in older barrels, it gives up notions of sweet and sour cherries, liquid rock and violets to go with a medium-bodied, pure, elegant style on the palate. There’s real granite influence here and this is beautiful. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years.

The delicious, medium-bodied 2011 Saint Joseph Les Vinsonnes gives up impressive blueberry, violets and licorice to go with bright, juicy and nicely textured feel on the palate. It too shows classic Northern Rhone characteristics and is a solid effort to drink over the coming 5-7 years. One of the leading estates in Cornas, Alain Voge, with more and more assistance from Alberic Mazoyer (formerly at Chapoutier), produces some of the most impressive, concentrated and rich wines of the appellation. Owning 17 acres in Cornas, spread across 12 different plots, and 15 acres in Saint Peray, this estate produces two whites from Saint Peray and up to three Cornas in any given vintage. In Cornas, the first cuvee is the Les Chailles, which comes from vines planted in the mid-1980s. Aged 18 months in neutral oak, it is the most forward and approachable of the releases. The old vine Vieilles Vignes cuvee sees more time in oak (some of which can be new) and comes from vines averaging 30 to90 years in age. Lastly, the tiny production and top wine, the Les Vieilles Fontaines, is a vineyard selection (normally from the Les Cotes and Chaillot lieux-dits) that sees up to 24 months in 15% new oak. Both the Vieilles Vignes and Les Vieilles Fontaines are serious, concentrated wines that will benefit from short-term cellaring. As a whole, vinification here is semi-modern, with plenty of destemming, and while the wines shows gorgeous polish and purity, they never lose their Cornas soul. These wines need to be on every reader’s short list. Importer: Citadel Trading Corp., New York, NY; tel. (212) 245-2844

Only one cuvee of St.-Joseph is produced. The 2010 St.-Joseph Les Vinsonnes comes from a hillside vineyard planted in granite soils above the tiny one-horse village of Mauves. Its deep ruby/plum/purple color is followed by aromas of strawberries, black cherries, powdered rock and bouquet garni. Medium-bodied with abundant fruit and light tannin, this impressively made St.-Joseph should drink well for 7-8 years. One of the superstars of Cornas is Domaine Alain Voge. In the top vintages, three cuvees are made, but in most years only two are produced, Vieilles Vignes and Les Chailles, from Voge’s 15 plus acres of Syrah planted on the decomposed granite slopes of Cornas. He also produces small quantities of St.-Joseph and as many as four cuvees of white wine from St.-Peray, including a sparkling white. The family has 10 acres of vines in this appellation, planted with 95% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne. Voge is also a leader in producing serious white wines from the up-and-coming micro-appellation of St.-Peray. I did not taste the sparkling white Voge and his brilliant assistant, Albert Mazoyer produce, but readers seeking a top white wine need look no further than Voge’s Fleur de Crussol. The real glories at Voge are his extraordinary offerings from Cornas. The three 2010 Cornas represent the pinnacle of Voge’s winemaking. They are the finest wines I have yet tasted from this estate (and I’ve been tasting their wines since the late seventies). Importer: Citadel Trading Corp., New York, NY; tel. (212) 245-2844