2012 Cote Rotie La Madiniere

(made from fruit grown in schist-rich soils in the Côte-Brune; 50% new barriques ): Bright violet color. Intensely perfumed aromas of cassis, violet pastille, olive paste and smoky Indian spices, with a peppery quality in the background. Broad and weighty but also shows noteworthy energy to its spice- and smoke-tinged black and blue fruit flavors. Closes sappy and very long, with resonating floral character and round tannins adding gentle grip.

Bright purple. Powerful aromas of dark fruit liqueur, licorice, woodsmoke and black pepper. Round and fleshy on the palate, offering intense blackcurrant and cherry compote flavors and hints of olive and vanilla. The smoky quality comes back on the smooth, clinging finish, which features supple tannins and building spiciness.

In the same ballpark quality wise, the 2012 Cote Rotie Madiniere is 100% Syrah and saw a similar 18 months in 50% new oak. Smoke, earth, underbrush, flowers and sweet raspberry fruit emerge from this pretty, elegant and balanced 2012. Slightly soft through the mid-palate, it should be approachable early on and evolve gracefully for over a decade. Yves releases two cuvees from Cornas, and I found the quality consistent in 2012, yet preferred the Vires release by a fair margin in 2011. There are three Saint Joseph cuvees in red: the Les Pierres Seches, which comes from sand and granite soils around the town of Chavanay; the L'Amarybelle, which comes from high density, terraced plantings of older vines; and lastly, the Les Serines, which comes from the oldest vines of the estate and is the only cuvee to see new oak. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant Ltd., Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990