Easier to read than the 2001, the 2000 C?te R?tie C?te Blonde is upfront and ready to go, with classic olive, red and black raspberry, iron and spice-laced aromas and flavors. Offering beautiful complexity, medium-bodied depth and richness and notable purity of fruit, drink it anytime over the coming 7-8 years.

To no one’s surprise, the most sexy, voluptuous of the 2000 cuvees is the 2000 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde. It boasts honeysuckle-infused black cherry and currant fruit in a dense, rich, opulent, aromatic, velvety-textured, seamless format. With no hard edges, this 2000 will be hard to resist young; it is capable of lasting 10-12 years. Rostaing’s Cote Blonde vineyard is sandwiched between La Mouline and Chatillonne. Rene Rostaing is one of the most masterful growers and bottlers of Cote Rotie. Sadly, there is not much produced.P.S. Pierre Rovani has raved about this wine in the past, and readers should not miss the Domaine du Puech-Chaud from the Coteaux du Languedoc. A Syrah-dominated red, it is a rich, character-filled effort made from Rostaing’s Languedoc-Roussillon vineyards. The 2000 was roaring from the glass when I tasted it in the estate’s Cote Rotie cellars.Importer: At the time of writing, Rostaing was in the process of changing importers after leaving Kermit Lynch.