2011 Cote Rotie L'Eglantine

More complex and layered, the 2011 Cote Rotie l'Eglantine offers an almost Pinot Noir-like profile with its forest floor, sweet cherry fruit, underbrush and floral nuances. Medium-bodied, elegant and with good mid-palate depth and fine tannin, it will evolve gracefully for a decade. Across the board, this is a superb lineup of wines that delivers high quality at all price points. Run by the team at Chapoutier, headed by Pierre-Henri Morel, the wines are made by Damien Brisset. This was a large tasting and I've simply listed the wines in the order we went through them. Within a vintage, the wines are broken up into three categories, the traditional releases, the Lieu-Dit releases, and the selections parcellaires releases. The 2011s are slightly softer and more streamlined than the 2012s. As a whole, they offer charming, supple and more medium-bodied profiles that will reward earlier drinking. Looking at the traditional releases in 2011, these wines show classic, yet approachable and delicious characters. In most cases they represent good value. Importer: A French Paradox, Peoria, IL; tel. (309) 682-8994

Opaque ruby. Dried cherry, cassis and smoky bacon on the nose. Offers nicely focused dark berry flavors and shows a firm spine of minerality, which adds back-end lift. Finishes on a peppery note: spicy, gently tannic and long.