2007 Cote Rotie

Bright red. Smoky red berry and cherry scents are complicated by notes of potpourri, minerals, tobacco and cracked pepper. Racy on entry, then gains sweetness in the middle palate to go with its precise raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and note of violet pastille. Lively and focused wine with good finishing lift and mineral-driven persistence.

Deep red. Textbook Cote-Rotie aromas of red and dark berries, smoked meat, violet, minerals and licorice, with a zesty kick of black pepper. Lush and creamy but by no means soft, offering sweet raspberry and cassis flavors, along with baking spices, beef jerky and a slow-mounting olive tapenade quality. Tannins arrive late and add structure but are quickly absorbed by the sweet fruit on the lengthy finish. This will be accessible early. Patrick Jasmin told me that this wine started out with a high pH but that the acidity has been gaining steadily.