2011 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot Magnum

Inky purple. Sexy, mineral-laced black and blue fruit aromas are complemented by notes of licorice, violet and black tea. Juicy and precise, offering intense boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of spicecake that gains strength with aeration. The floral note comes back strong on the strikingly persistent finish, which is firmed by dusty, fine-grained tannins. Plenty deep and intense but comes off as a bit more lithe than the even deeper and sappier Reynard. 93 points. Josh Raynolds.