A step up on the richness scale, the 2011 Saint Joseph Les Serines is medium-bodied, seamless and also finesse oriented, with fine tannin, beautiful purity and a classy, focused finish. Exhibiting impressive berry fruit, earth, and violet-styled aromas and flavors, this beauty will drink nicely over the coming 7-8 years. Yves releases two cuvees from Cornas, and I found the quality consistent in 2012, yet preferred the Vires release by a fair margin in 2011. There are three Saint Joseph cuvees in red: the Les Pierres Seches, which comes from sand and granite soils around the town of Chavanay; the L'Amarybelle, which comes from high density, terraced plantings of older vines; and lastly, the Les Serines, which comes from the oldest vines of the estate and is the only cuvee to see new oak. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant Ltd., Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990