Vinous 92 – the top Cuvee Laurent ever:
Primary red and blue fruit scents are complemented by cracked pepper and candied violet notes. In an energetic, juicy style, offering sweet black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that firm up in the back half. Shows just a trace of tannins on the persistent finish, which echoes the blue fruit and spice notes. Laurent Combier’s consistently delicious and accessible, entry-level Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Laurent (known colloquially as “Cuvée L”) is one of the most ubiquitous Northern Rhône wines in restaurants, wine bars and shops across France.These wines lean towards a modern style with fruit-driven personalities, but there is more than enough depth and structure to warrant cellaring.
Also a Wine Spectator 91 at $37:
Delivers earth and fruit in equal parts, with wet earth, dried leaves and smoked mesquite alongside black plum and cherry compote. The medium-bodied finish is marked by pepper and anise, all cut through with savory acidity and graphite shavings. Drink now through 2025.
And Wine Enthusiast 91 at $37:
Fresh red apples and plums intermingle beautifully with aromas of acacia, lavender and violets. Uplifting red currants, cherries and rhubarb make for a delicious concentration of flavors on the palate, with acidity balanced by medium tannins.
And Suckling 92:
An aromatic nose of dark cherries, black pepper, smoked bacon and tons of violets. It's medium-bodied with silky tannins. Fresh and floral with elegance and poise. Well-rounded and transparent with a vivid finish. From organically grown grapes.
A rare (if not beyond rare) bargain in quality northern Rhone Syrah. There’s a reason almost every top restaurant in New York and San Francisco carries this.