1999 Delas Frères Côte-Rôtie La Landonne

Colour mid crimson. Very fresh, appetising nose. Almost sweet and floral. Very lively and dancing. Some leather. Dry finish but very lively and true. Great balance in the mouth. Not big but beautifully made. Bravo ! (JR)

The limited cuvee from the Cote Brune, the 1999 Cote Rotie La Landonne (250 cases) is prodigious. Readers lucky enough to track down a bottle or two will own a legend in the making. However, 8-9 years of cellaring are required before this wine rounds into drinkable form. An opaque black/purple color is accompanied by sublime aromas of licorice, espresso, scorched earth, tapenade, bacon fat, and blackberry/cassis liqueur. This is a wine of great intensity, explosive richness, and brutally high tannin. This compelling, majestic Cote Rotie should be at its finest between 2008-2025. Beginning with the 1997 vintage, this firm has made remarkable progress with their Cote Rotie program. The cuvaison lasts twenty days, and Jacques Granges believes in several pigeages (punching down) a day, with pump overs as well. This is a good commercial example. The significant difference in quality between the outstanding 1999 northern Rhone vintage and the above average yet essentially correct 2000 is dramatically evidenced in Delas's wines. The 2000 red offerings reveal charming ripeness, but also the vintage's softness, lightness, and lack of depth. Importer: Maison Marques et Domaines, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 286-2000.

(13.2% natural alcohol; contains no viognier) Full deep ruby to the rim. Highly nuanced, pure aromas of blackberry, violet and cinders, with a soupcon of dried flowers. Dense and seamless but still tightly wound. Conveys an impression of sappy superripeness and great inner-mouth lift. Very long, highly aromatic finish features extremely suave tannins. Superb.