The 2009 Syrah La Rosine VDP is the most serious wine Ogier has yet produced from this site. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by abundant aromas of charcoal, licorice, black truffles, black currants and sweet cherries. Deep, fleshy, velvety textured, opulent and complex, it can be enjoyed over the next 7-8 years. Ogier's wines just keep getting better and better, so if you haven-t yet jumped on the Ogier bandwagon, it's time to do so. Michel Ogier, and more recently his son, Stephane, are the leading craftsmen in terms of wines from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman town of Vienne. These are still entitled to only a VDP designation, but current vintages are the finest he has yet produced.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2009 Syrah La Rosine (a 30,000-bottle cuvee aged in neutral wood) is potentially the finest example of this wine Ogier has yet made. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of black raspberries, black cherries, cedar, incense and pepper. This lush, round Syrah should be enjoyed during its first 3-4 years of life, although I suspect it may last longer. (Not yet released)One of France’s most brilliant small artisanal wineries is that of the Ogier family in Ampuis, situated about six blocks north of Guigal’s vast network of underground cellars. The value picks are the wines made from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman settlement of Vienne.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083