2006 Domaine Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie La Belle Helene

The 2006 Cote Rotie La Belle Helene is sensational. Made primarily from destemmed fruit, it offers up notes of camphor, smoked meats, creme de cassis, raspberries, and hints of licorice as well as underbrush. Dense and full-bodied with stunning concentration, a multilayered mouthfeel, and a superb finish, it should drink beautifully for two decades. The Ogier family is a fabulous success story in the northern Rhone. As I have frequently written over the last 30 years, a family of vignerons selling their entire production to negociants, gradually begins to estate bottle, first the father, Michel, and more recently the ambitious and talented son, Stephane. The results are extraordinary wines that thrill consumers. The Ogiers have taken a strong position in Syrah vineyards planted on the hillside terraces outside the old Roman city of Vienne, a few miles north of Cote Rotie. The have two totally different terroirs, La Rosine, which is Syrah planted on granite, and l’Ame Soeur, Syrah planted on schist. Both are very fine, value-priced offerings that offer a faithful introduction into the Ogier winemaking philosophy as well as to northern Rhone Syrah. The 2007 vintage was largely damaged by hail in Cote Rotie, but much of the crop was saved by three weeks of the gusty northern winds known as the Mistral in the south that occurred in September, following horrible weather in August. The vintage turned out to be far better than expected. At the time of my visit to Ogier they were leaning toward not making a Lancement in 2007 because of hail damage. They were strongly considering declassifying that wine and blending it with the Cote Rotie. The most limited production offering is named after Michel Ogier’s charming wife, Helene. It comes closest in style to Guigal’s single vineyard Cote Rotie La Turque. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Bright ruby. Energetic red berry and floral aromas convey a stronger sense of elegance than the Lancement today. Silky and sweet, with deep but lively raspberry and wild strawberry flavors reminiscent of pinot noir. The floral element gains strength on the finish, which refuses to let go of the palate. I find this irresistible right now.

Bright ruby. High-pitched, intensely floral aromas of spicy raspberry, cherry and blueberry, along with smoky minerals and mocha. Deep, round and chewy, with admirably concentrated dark berry liqueur flavors, velvety tannins and a long, sappy finish. Ogier told me that he kept 50% of the stems for this.