1999 Cote Rotie La Landonne

For drinking today, it doesn't get better than the 1999 Cote Rotie la Landonne (the '99 la Mouline maybe). A monumental Cote Rotie, it offers an incredible perfume of cassis, licorice, smoked game and roasted herbs (among other things), full-bodied richness, a seamless texture and a finish that just won't quit. While a massive wine, with incredible concentration and density, this beauty is lively, elegant and weightless, with sweet, polished tannin. Perfumed and upfront on this occasion, it was served blind at the end of the retrospective and I actually thought it was the 1990.

Deep purple. These last three reds were served in the reverse order and gave us a lesson in the increasing concentration and oak influence of the wines over time. This was the most focussed. Deep purple. Extremely fresh and dense and energetic yet velvety. Some liquorice. Dramatic but a bit drying on the finish. (JR)

Very dark crimson. Intriguingly mossy nose. Obviously hidden depths there. Very dry and quite tough at the moment. Very Landonne. Dark and racy yet with richness. Lots of ripe tannin very well complemented by ripe fruit. (JR)