Also beautiful, with creme de cassis, licorice and hints of toast and spice (this cuvee will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak), the 2012 Saint Joseph Les Serines is medium to full-bodied, rich, textured and balanced. Possessing good acids, ripe, rounded tannin and impressive length on the finish, it should be an outstanding bottle of wine to drink over the coming decade. 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