Light ruby/garnet-colored with considerable amber at the edge, the 1966 offers an herb and sweet, jammy-scented nose with more definition and less smoky notes than its younger sibling. Full-bodied, sweet, velvety, and delicious, with an expansive mid-palate, and a soft, heady, alcoholic finish, this wine has been delicious since I first tasted it in the mid-seventies. I usually opt for drinking Fonsalette's Cotes du Rhone within its first 10-15 years of life, but the 1966 and 1969 authoritatively prove that the finest vintages of Fonsalette can age brilliantly.Imported by Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800, Wines of France, Alain Junguenet, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173, and Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; tel. (617) 395-3300

Light ruby/garnet-colored with considerable amber at the edge, the 1966 offers an herb and sweet, jammy-scented nose with more definition and less smoky notes than its younger sibling. Full-bodied, sweet, velvety, and delicious, with an expansive mid-palate, and a soft, heady, alcoholic finish, this wine has been delicious since I first tasted it in the mid-seventies. I usually opt for drinking Fonsalette's Cotes du Rhone within its first 10-15 years of life, but the 1966 and 1969 authoritatively prove that the finest vintages of Fonsalette can age brilliantly. Imported by Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800, Wines of France, Alain Junguenet, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173, and Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; tel. (617) 395-3300