2007 Domaine René Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde

Bright red. Exotically perfumed bouquet of raspberry, Asian spices, white pepper and smoky minerals, with a strong floral quality that gains strength with air. The fresh palate offers incisive red and dark berry flavors with sweet violet and rose pastille nuances. There's a Burgundian elegance to this wine that's really interesting. The finish repeats the floral and pepper notes and lingers with very good authority.

The sensational 2007 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde is one of the top Cote Roties of the vintage. Sweet bacon fat, spring flower, mulberry, and subtle smoke characteristics emerge from this broad, medium to full-bodied, complex 2007. Already evolved, it should drink beautifully for a decade. (Not yet released) One of the benchmark producers of Cote Rotie, Rene Rostaing’s wines are made in a classic, traditional style, and are aged in either demi-muids or small barrels, a tiny percentage of which is new. Rostaing’s 25 acres spread throughout heritage sites on the two hillsides of the Cote Blonde and Cote Brune include some of the finest vineyards of the appellation. Importer: Manny Berk, The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484

Vivid red. Intensely perfumed bouquet of red and dark berries, dark chocolate, white pepper and dried flowers, with a kick of candied licorice. Bitter cherry and berry skin flavors are youthfully taut on entry but gain sweetness with aeration, picking up sweeter black raspberry and kirsch character. Becomes more tannic with air too, finishing with a strong echo of cherry and pepper.