2009 Cote Rotie Lancement

Opaque ruby. Vibrant raspberry, cherry-vanilla and incense aromas are complemented by candied licorice and smoky minerals. Pliant, palate-staining red and dark berry preserve flavors are enlivened by Asian spices and a hint of blood orange. Shows outstanding clarity and cut, with gentle tannins adding shape and focus to the strikingly long, sweet, pure finish.

The virtually perfect 2009 Cote Rotie Lancement Cote Blonde is stunningly perfumed with notes of black raspberries, blackberries, graphite, forest floor, tapenade and subtle smoke. Silky tannins, a phenomenal skyscraper-like mouthfeel and a sensational finish with light to moderate tannin suggest it will benefit from 2-4 more years of bottle age, and should drink well for two decades or more. Ogier's wines just keep getting better and better, so if you haven't yet jumped on the Ogier bandwagon, it's time to do so. Michel Ogier, and more recently his son, Stephane, are the leading craftsmen in terms of wines from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman town of Vienne. These are still entitled to only a VDP designation, but current vintages are the finest he has yet produced. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, New York City; tel. (212) 239-1275

Glass-staining ruby. Vibrant aromas raspberry, blood orange, potpourri and Asian spices. Suave, silky and weightless, with striking finesse and penetrating flavors of red fruit preserves and candied flowers. Very complex, spicy and expansive, with excellent definition and purity. Finishes with strong florality and outstanding persistence. As usual, this is one of the most graceful Cote-Roties of the vintage. The '07 is surprisingly open right now and shows a drop-dead bouquet of floral and red fruit qualities, with intense spiciness and nervy minerality.