2006 Cote Rotie Les Roziers

Mild, well mannered, easy. Very relaxed sort of wine with true dry finish but not too demanding in terms of acid and tannin quality. Gentle true Côte Rôtie. (JR)

Opaque ruby. Spicy, energetic raspberry and licorice aromas underscored by piquant minerality; gains a vanillin oak quality with air but it remains in harmony with the fruit. Supple and packed with sweet dark fruit liqueur flavors, finishing with gentle tannic grip and outstanding persistence. This will age well but should be very appealing on the young side. (I also tasted the basic 2006 Cote-Rotie in several components; the final blend should merit 90-93.)

The 2006s are more structured, backward efforts, but all are exceptionally well-endowed. The dense purple-hued 2006 Cote Rotie Cote Rozier offers up notes of charcoal, smoked meats, black olives, and black fruits. This full-bodied, dense, concentrated offering reminds me of Guigal's Cote Rotie La Landonne. It is a big, brawny, structured wine that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age, and drink well for 15+ years thereafter. Apr 2009, www.robertparker.com