Stolen away from the family's tiny cache of back vintages, the 2001 Cote Rotie la Landonne is a clear marker that even top wines don't live forever. While still charming for its notes of crushed stone, florals and wood ash, the fruit has largely faded. Medium to full-bodied and nicely rounded on the mid-palate, it's thinning out on the tart finish. Drink up.

The 2001 Cote Rotie La Landonne reveals a roasted espresso character along with licorice, pepper, scorched earth, and dense blackberry and cassis fruit. Firm, tannic, and masculine as well as aromatic (a characteristic of this cool vintage), it requires another 2-3 years of cellaring, after which it should last for 7-8 years. 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.